


Red

by when_you_know_you_know



Series: Red [1]
Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Barden Years, F/F, Senior year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-10-07 05:11:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 29,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17359631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/when_you_know_you_know/pseuds/when_you_know_you_know
Summary: At the end of their time together at Barden University, Beca asks Chloe to go to the graduation ball with her. As her date. Chloe agrees. And the other Bellas have no idea…





	1. The Nailpolish

Chloe let out a heavy sigh to try and calm her nerves while she sat cross-legged on her bed. Her study notes were piled up high on her desk across her bedroom, ignored for now. Her final stab at senior year would end with her passing her Russian Lit exam next week - at last. She’d failed her previous three years on purpose, and all because of a girl. A beautiful, complicated, misunderstood, funny, sarcastic, wonderful girl. A girl Chloe shared ‘Captaincy’ duties with. A girl Chloe had fallen in unrequited love with almost as soon as they’d first met a few years ago.

Chloe had continued to fail Russian Lit so she could spend more time with this girl. And this particular girl was due in her bedroom at any moment now.

A light knocking was heard at the door and Chloe sat up a little straighter, clearing her voice and letting out a nervous, “Come in.” Her heart skipping a beat when her bedroom door slowly opened and the girl she’s been expecting stepped inside.

Beca Mitchell closed the door over behind her and let out a sharp sigh. Her eyes found the beautiful figure of her best friend, sat cross-legged in the middle of the double bed and the brunette swallowed loudly. She hadn’t expected Chloe to invite her up here. And she wasn’t normally nervous whenever she had to come up to this particular bedroom in the house they both shared with their friends. But this evening she was.

“Hey.” Beca said in an awkward voice, tugging the hem of her pyjama top down nervously, “Uh…I’m here!” Chloe smiled. Yeah, Beca was here. “Why do you need me here?” Beca added cautiously, and Chloe let out a light chuckle, motioning to the patch of mattress before her.

“I’m going to do your nails for you!”

“Oh..” Beca said with a raise of her eyebrows. She certainly wasn’t expecting Chloe to say that, “..do..do I  _need_  to have my nails done?”

“No, but you were saying yesterday how good my nails looked and I told you I’d done them myself. So I figured I could do yours for you too!” Chloe said in a bright voice, causing a small smile to appear on Beca’s mouth.

They’d got back from The Bellas Retreat yesterday, all exhausted from two restless nights having to share a large tent between ten of them. Beca and Chloe had both got into a huge argument, but had eventually settled again. And ever since returning from the retreat something had felt different.

It was during that time, Beca had come to realise that she really  _did_ have feelings for Chloe. Feelings that she’d been trying to push down over the past several months and had finally reared it’s head a couple of evenings ago over the camp fire. Chloe hadn’t left her thoughts since.

“Uh..okay..” Beca replied quietly, slowly moving over to the space on Chloe’s bed that the redhead had recommended. She sat down, crossing her legs opposite her best friend, her heart hammering against her chest with nerves. Chloe, meanwhile, gathered her nail polishes, holding them out between them in her palms for Beca to see.

“What colour would you like?” Chloe asked, trying to maintain her composure. She adored Beca. Couldn’t believe they were finally getting an intimate moment like this. And she watched Beca’s expression closely, biting her bottom lip.

“Um..” Beca paused then shrugged, “What colour do you think I should go for?”

“You’d hate my suggestion.”

“I trust you.” Beca said, looking up into Chloe’s eyes and the two best friends found their respective breath catching in their throats as they shared a long gaze.

Chloe’s mouth drew into a soft smile, “Red.” she whispered, letting out a chuckle when Beca rolled her eyes, “See, I told you you’d hate it.”

Beca let out a joking growl then grinned, “Go on then..” and watched in amusement as Chloe let out a light squeak of joy then chucked all the small pots to one side except for the red colour. Beca enjoyed making Chloe happy. Even moreso now she’d definitely decided that yes, she  _did_  have a raging crush on her best friend.

Chloe brought her knee up, bending it between them, then reached out to take Beca’s first hand. Beca swallowed loudly, trying to regulate her breathing and not show how nervous she was feeling. But her heart rate increased when Chloe put Beca’s hand on her bare knee.

The brunette couldn’t tear her gaze from Chloe’s bright blue eyes while her best friend peered intently at her fingernails, pulling the red nail polish carefully across the surface. Beca marvelled in the way Chloe’s freckles had spread across her face in recent weeks thanks to the sunshine that had been prevalent in Atlanta. She loved the way Chloe’s eyes had the odd flecks of yellow amongst the strong bright blue of the redhead’s iris - only someone who looked closely at them would notice.

Beca swiped her tongue along her bottom lip quickly, trying to calm her nerves as Chloe paid attention to the final nail on her current hand. She didn’t get like this. She didn’t get nervous around people and especially not Chloe. Not normally. She knew Chloe. Chloe was one of her best friends. But the longer Beca watched her the more nervous the brunette became. Because Beca  _really_  cared about Chloe far more than any of the other Bellas. And feeling Chloe’s knee under her palm made Beca want to feel more of Chloe’s soft skin.

“There we go. Hand one complete!” Chloe said with a satisfied sigh, gently moving Beca’s hand onto her thigh, and Beca swallowed loudly, trying not to seem too shocked by how close her hand now was to the hem of Chloe’s short pyjama shorts. But she didn’t have too much time to comprehend her left hand’s position, because Chloe had grabbed Beca’s right hand and had placed it up onto her bare knee.

“You know what?” Chloe said in a quiet distracted tone, busy peering intently at the paint-job she was doing on Beca’s next set of fingernails, “Red  _really_  suits you..”

“So you’re saying  _you’d_  suit me?” Beca asked in a flirtatious tone and Chloe’s eyebrows rose, looking up from Beca’s hand to the brunette’s deep blue eyes, a coy smile growing on her face.

“That depends on what you mean by ‘suit you’..”

Beca shrugged, looking down at her left hand that was still resting on Chloe’s bare thigh, “Liiiiike…if you maybe wanted to…go with me to Grad Ball?”

“Like as your date?”

Beca’s eyes flickered back up to Chloe’s and she saw her best friend beaming at her. Chloe’s bright blue eyes twinkling at Beca excitably. And it gave Beca the confidence she needed to power through the very thing that had been holding her back from saying anything to Chloe about the matter before now. So a smile slowly grew across Beca’s face.

“Yeah…” Beca said with a shrug, “…if you wanted to?”

Chloe drew her bottom lip between her teeth smiling gently to herself as she looked down at Beca’s hand on her bare knee, between their faces, “Uhuh.” she said softly, “I’d really like that.”

“Cool.” Beca replied, clearing her throat and the two best friends let out nervous chuckles, “You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to ask you.” Beca added.

Chloe looked back up into her best friend’s eyes with a bright smile, “I’m glad you finally did.”

“Me too.” Beca said in a calm voice.

The two women let out gentle sighs, soft smiles on their faces while Chloe resumed painting Beca’s fingernails. Their minds now slipping into happy daydreams of how wonderful their graduation ball will be the next week - both excited to know that they would be attending the event as one another’s date.


	2. Nervous

Beca let out a heavy nervous breath, running the pad of her thumb over the neatly polished nail of her index finger while she stood patiently by the giant Ferris wheel on campus. That’s where she and Chloe had agreed to meet tonight. Their first date. A date.  _Definitely_  a date. And Beca was crapping herself she was so worried she was going to screw it up.

Suddenly her breath caught in her throat and her heart rate increased dramatically when she saw the unquestionable figure of her best friend, wandering slowly towards her with a big coy smile on her face. Beca’s thoughts went fuzzy as she drank in Chloe’s appearance. The redhead was no longer wearing the dress she’d worn at their graduation earlier today. She was now donning a beautiful black dress that hugged her figure perfectly, the hem of which ending mid-way up her thighs. And her long red hair was pinned to one side, cascading down over the other shoulder. Beca was completely transfixed, a soft smile on her face.

Chloe was equally nervous as she approached her best friend. The woman she’d had a crush on for years. Her dream was finally coming true. She was finally going on a date with Beca. Beca had actually  _asked her_ on a date!

Her eyes wandered down Beca’s petite figure, marvelling at how good the woman’s breasts looked being hugged by a slim-fit black top. Beca’s legs looked longer than normal, probably due to her black pants and black boots that boasted killer heels. Chloe couldn’t help but notice that for once Beca would be about an inch  _taller_  than her.

Chloe’s heart jumped into her throat as she almost reached her best friend. Beca had done her makeup to perfection, and her brown hair fell long in loose waves down her back - exactly how Chloe loved it.

“Hi.” Beca said nervously, unable to help the grin that was spread across her face. She was excited to finally be here with Chloe. Beca didn’t often get excited about things. But this was definitely something to be excited about.

“Hi.” Chloe replied with a massive grin of her own, “You look  _amazing_!” she added quickly and Beca’s smile dropped.

“ _Shhhhhhhit_ …” Beca muttered under her breath, looking down at her feet in embarrassment. Chloe panicked a little. Should she  _not_  have said that?

“Is…is everything okay? Should I not have said that or-?”

“No it’s…” Beca began, looking quickly up at Chloe again, letting out a sharp huff of air, “…I was going to say the same thing. I should’ve said it as soon as I saw you but I didn’t and…” she brought her hand to her forehead, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment while she looked at Chloe apologetically, “…Ugh, now I’m a total dick.”

Chloe couldn’t help the soft smile on her face as she watched Beca shifting anxiously from foot to foot, the brunette adding:

“If you wanna cancel this date right now then I totally get it dude-“

But Chloe let out a light giggle, reaching out and playfully pushing Beca’s arm:

“-Beca it’s okaaay! You’re not a dick.” she said affectionately. Beca’s other hand dropped from her forehead and she rose her eyebrows slightly.

“Well yeah because I’m a girl…”

“ _And_  because you’re really sweet.” Chloe insisted, causing a shy smile to spread on Beca’s face. Chloe was so nice. She’d  _always_  been nice. Kind. Confident. Beautiful. Funny. Quirky. Captivating-

“Beca?”

Beca jumped, blinking several times as she realised she’d completely zoned out. She looked at her best friend who was now smiling at her in amusement, clearly waiting for her response. So Beca just cleared her throat awkwardly.

“Huh?”

“Did you just zone out?” Chloe asked curiously and Beca’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment again.

“Uh, yeah…I uh…you…” a quick grin shot across Beca’s face for a moment, “…you just look really pretty tonight.”

This time it was Chloe’s turn to be a little embarrassed and the redhead let out a light chuckle.

“And here was me asking if you wanted to start again.”

Beca bit her bottom lip thoughtfully as she watched Chloe slowly step away from her and the brunette began to follow. It was only the start of the night, but already it seemed to be going well..


	3. Tin Cans

“So…a date.” Chloe began conversationally while she and Beca slowly walked away from the Ferris wheel and towards a collection of carnival games. The place was a hive of activity, full of Barden seniors who had graduated that day, most of which were now milling around the carnival that Barden University had arranged for its new graduates.

Beca walked alongside Chloe, but not too close. She was nervous and desperately didn’t want to mess this evening up. So she kept her hands stuffed in her pants pockets, looking down at the ground with a coy smile.

“Yeah.” She said before quickly looking over at the redhead beside her, “You’re sure you’re okay with this?”

“Oh totes.” Chloe replied brightly, though her smile was also a nervous one. This had been everything she’d ever dreamt of. She desperately didn’t want to mess tonight up either. She kept picking awkwardly at her fingernails, a bad habit she’d had since a child.

The conversation went dead as the two best friends continued along the concrete. Beca was busy running things around and around in her head. Things that she wanted to say to Chloe. Like how she’d always wanted to ask her out but hadn’t really had the guts to before now. How she really was  _very_  fond of her. How even in the final few weeks of her relationship with Jesse, Beca had been imagining what it was like if she were in a relationship with Chloe instead. It’d been torture.

Suddenly Beca looked up and a large collection of cuddly toys caught her eyes above a tin can stall. They were from Chloe’s favourite Disney movie:  _The Little Mermaid_. Beca had known this fact for a good couple of years, but it wasn’t until the beginning of the year that she’d secretly watched it on her laptop to try to work out  _why_  her crush liked it so much. She still wasn’t sure. Nor was she sure why Flounder was Chloe’s favourite character. But that was what she knew, and her eyes immediately honed in on a giant Flounder cuddly toy.

“Want me to try and win you a prize?” Beca asked, stopping in her tracks while she looked at Chloe to gauge her reaction. And she wasn’t disappointed. Chloe’s eyes lit up the second she saw what the prizes were and the redhead immediately reached out to grab Beca’s arm excitably.

“Seriously??” Chloe asked, turning to look at Beca and she realised the brunette had already been watching her, a soft smile on her face.

“Yeah.” Beca replied, shrugging while she turned back to the tin can stall, “It’s only a couple of bucks.”

Chloe watched as Beca slowly approached the tin can stall. Her heart was racing. This was actually pretty… _romantic_  of Beca. To offer to win her a prize. A jock she’d been dating during her senior year of high school had offered to win her a prize at a carnival once, but had ended up getting in a fight with a bunch of other jocks from a rival school because they’d been teasing him too much for missing the target.

Needless to say, Chloe hadn’t been won a prize then. But perhaps tonight would be different? After all, she felt as though she’d already won being here with Beca.

Chloe was impressed with the way her best friend held herself. Beca seemed confident as she thrusted a couple of dollar bills the stall holder’s way. And Chloe recognised the look of determination on Beca’s face. A determination she usually saved for finals of their Acapella competitions.

Beca took a step back with her left foot, one of the three balls she’d been handed now nestled in her left hand - her dominant hand. She was a good shot. She knew she was. She’d always been a good shot - the perk of growing up with two older brothers and too much free time.

The brunette took a deep breath then threw the ball as hard as she could at the collection of six tin cans that had been stacked in a triangle before her. The ball hit the target perfectly and the top three cans fell down no problem, along with the bottom right can.

Chloe let out a light squeal of delight, her hands immediately snapping to her mouth in excitement. Not one to be pessimistic, but Chloe had worried for a moment that Beca wouldn’t be so good at this game. After all, the brunette  _hated_  most sports.

Two cans standing. Two balls left.

Beca took the second ball, taking another deep breath. She was quietly confident. She’d hit targets way further than this in the past, and she thought fleetingly about Chloe, and how thrilled they both would be if she’d won that cuddly toy. This was for Chloe. Tonight would all be for Chloe.

Another excitable squeal left the redhead’s mouth as the centre tin can was knocked off it’s perch by the ball Beca had just thrown. The brunette shuffled her feet with a cocky grin on her face, picking up the final ball. One more tin can to go. No sweat.

Beca glanced over her shoulder at Chloe, loving the way the woman looked back at her in awe. Okay, if she was wanting to go out and impress her then it looked like it was working. Chloe looked very impressed. And it filled Beca with confidence.

The brunette turned back to the stall, shifting her weight onto her left foot again. Then with one final throw, the ball shot out of her hand and smacked the final tin can bang in the middle.

Chloe let out a shriek of delight while Beca threw her arms in the air. But their victory was short-lived when the stall holder rose his eyebrows and motioned to the perch Beca had been aiming at.

“Sorry ladies, you didn’t knock all the cans down. Better luck next time.”

“What?!” Beca shrieked in disbelief, looking over at the ledge and sure enough, the tin can still stood tall, “Oh you’ve got to be  _kidding_  me! I hit it! It should’ve fallen over!”

“Yeah, well, it didn’t.” The man said with a shrug of his shoulders and a ‘no care’ attitude.

Beca could feel her anger building. This wasn’t fair. She’d hit it! She’d won fair and square! That Flounder toy was hers! Well… _Chloe’s_.

“Oh this is a scam!” Beca snapped, moving forward to try to reach out to grab the guy by his jacket in rage, but she felt Chloe grabbing her arm and tugging her back.

“Beca it’s okay.” Chloe mumbled, “Let’s go.”

Beca reluctantly allowed herself to be pulled back a few steps, but she still pointed her index finger at the stall holder accusingly.

“You’re lucky she’s here!” she threatened but the man had an amused grin on his face.

“You should keep your girlfriend on a tighter leash.” he advised Chloe as the two women slowly walked off.

Beca’s brow was furrowed, her expression sullen while her shoulders remained slumped. She’d wanted to treat Chloe. To impress her and give her something to remember tonight by. Now all Beca would remember was how she was conned out of winning that toy. And all Chloe would remember was Beca getting angry with the man who had conned her out of winning a toy.

“It’s okay, Beca.” Chloe said sweetly but Beca screwed her face up.

“It  _isn’t_  okay though!” She protested, looking to her left at the woman while Chloe smiled softly at her. “Chloe, I won that game fair and square. You should have a giant cuddly Flounder in your arms right now!”

“You remembered I like Flounder?” Chloe quickly interrupted and Beca’s expression relaxed, a small embarrassed smile washing over her face. She looked ahead of them, still noting the way Chloe watched her. Liking the way Chloe watched her.

“Uh…yeah. He’s like you’re favourite character in The Little Mermaid, right?”

Beca looked back at Chloe and the redhead immediately looked away from Beca, her smile changing to a sweet one. As though she was trying to hide how thrilled she was that Beca had remembered such a small insignificant fact about her.

“Yeah, he is.”

There was something about the way Chloe looked right now that had Beca falling deeper and deeper in love with her. Feelings like this had been ones she’d held secret for so long now. But this was a date. She was now finally on a date with Chloe. So technically she didn’t need to hide those feelings anymore.

The thing was, for however much Beca didn’t need to hide her feelings, at the end of the day she was still Beca. And expressing feelings openly was never part of her repertoire.

So the brunette looked ahead at the Haunted Ride they appeared to be approaching, and with a deep breath she slowly reached her left hand out and took Chloe’s hand.

Soft smiles spread on both their faces as they stepped closer together, their fingers entwined while their arms swung gently between them. Chloe looked down at their hands, noting how good they looked then glanced up at Beca.

Beca noticed Chloe’s look and couldn’t help glancing over at Chloe too. The second their eyes met, the soft smiles on their faces grew, and they slowly looked back out at the ever-nearing carnival ride.

This felt right. And it had both Beca and Chloe’s hearts skipping a beat…


	4. The Haunted Ride

“Are you sure you’re okay to go on this thing?” Chloe asked Beca cautiously, the brunette settling into the seat directly beside her and allowing the metal safety pole to be lowered down onto their laps and locked by one of the Ride assistants.

“Yeah, of course I am, dude.” Beca tried to say confidently, clearing her throat while she tapped her fingertips nervously on the metal pole. She  _wasn’t_  alright with going on this ride. She hated being scared. She hated horror movies. She hated surprises. She hated being jumped out at. But she liked Chloe. And Chloe had wanted to go on this ride. It’d be like…two minutes long. Just two minutes. No big deal.

The thing was, Chloe  _hadn’t_  wanted to go on this ride either. She’d just suggested it because she and Beca had stopped outside it and she figured Beca had stopped there because she wanted to go on it. Chloe hated being scared. She hated scary movies. She hated being jumped out at. And she feared that she wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight after being on this ride. But she liked Beca. So that was why she was doing it. Because Beca wanted to.

The creepy soundtrack and sound effects were rattling out of the metal outer walls of the ride that Beca and Chloe’s little cart was about to swing them into. And those sound effects served to make the two seniors more and more nervous by the minute. Not nervous because they were sat so close. They were nervous because they were about to embark on a ride that they really didn’t want to go on, but we’re willing to endure for the sake of the other.

“Can I hold your hand?” Chloe asked in a quiet tone, quickly turning to look at Beca and noticing that the brunette looked as scared as she felt.

Beca didn’t waste any time in bringing her hand down into Chloe’s lap and grabbing her hand, “Definitely.” Beca managed to choke out, quickly lacing her fingers between Chloe’s and they held one another tight.

All of a sudden the ride began, jolting the cart they were in forward and both Beca and Chloe shrieked before grinning at each other awkwardly. Beca kept her focus on Chloe’s face while Chloe kept her focus on Beca’s. Then the cart trundled through a dark hole, plunging them both into darkness.

Beca and Chloe both immediately reached out to take the other’s hand, and they scooted even closer together. Chloe peered through the darkness, trying to prepare herself for what was about to come. Trying to prepare herself for someone to jump out at her.

Beca, meanwhile, had squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the sound effects that were sending shivers down her spine. She was terrified and clung to Chloe’s hands that little bit harder. She didn’t care about trying to look confident and brave any more. Chloe could be brave for the both of them.

Large puffs of air shot out at either side of the cart, blowing directly into Beca’s left ear and Chloe’s right. The two women screamed, their shoulders clanging against one another. Beca swore if the bar hadn’t been locked down she would be on Chloe’s lap by now, clinging to her whole body for dear life. As it stood, Beca was just clinging to Chloe’s hands.

For a moment Beca dared to open her eyes. There was complete darkness. All she was aware of was the sound effects still echoing around them, how tight Chloe’s hands were clinging to hers and vice-versa, and the sound of Chloe’s whimpering from beside her.

Beca let out a sudden shriek as a bright red light shone on a tall creepy figure up ahead on the left side.  _Her_  side. But the light quickly went out and Beca began to panic as the cart continued to rumble on.

“OhGodOhGodOhGodOhGod…” Beca whimpered, drawing herself even closer to Chloe, desperately wishing the scary figure wasn’t on her side of the ride. Where had he even been stood? Since the light had gone out Beca had no concept of the distance.

The cart stopped suddenly and both Beca and Chloe let out a yelp. Beca’s heart was racing while she felt Chloe bring her left arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a tight hug to draw her away from that side of the ride. Beca nuzzled into Chloe’s neck, quivering with nerves while a sound effect laugh echoed around them.

Then suddenly the red light shone on the wall where the creepy figure had been, right beside Beca. The two women yelped then realised the light shone on an empty wall.

“Where’d he go?” Chloe whimpered.

They both held their breath then let out massive shrieks of horror as the tall creepy man was lit up beside Chloe, leaning towards them with an evil grin and dirty cackle. Beca and Chloe continued to shriek, Beca quickly unravelling herself from Chloe’s embrace and throwing her own arm around the redhead to lean her away from the right side of the cart.

This time Chloe whimpered, quivering against Beca’s body while her her left hand gripped Beca’s left hand and her right hand gripped a fistful of Beca’s jacket. Beca kept her face buried in Chloe’s hair mumbling over and over:

“It’s okay-it’s okay-we’re okay-we’re okay…”

They shrieked once again when the cart began moving. The lights went out, and Beca and Chloe both held their breath, both too terrified to realise they were very much cuddled up at the moment.

The cart tumbled on while there were more sound effects. Some sort of slimy feeling string slipped over their faces, causing Beca and Chloe to hold onto one another tighter. Then the horrible figure was lit up again, up ahead of them, and Chloe let out a squeak when she realised that the figure was now on her side of the ride.

“There he is!!” she whimpered, and Chloe tucked into Beca that little bit tighter. Beca’s heart was racing as the light went out, the figure disappearing. If it was anything like the previous scare then he would appear on her side.

Beca braced herself, tensing her body slightly, holding Chloe tight. The cart came to a stop. That same sound effect laughter echoed around them and Beca couldn’t help the squeal that left the back of her throat while Chloe yelped.

The light shone on Beca’s side this time, and as expected the creepy tall figure was there beside them, beginning to lean over Beca. But all of a sudden, the brunette heard Chloe let out a loud shriek and swiftly bring her hand up, punching the creepy guy square in the face. He let out a roar of pain and the lights went out.

Chloe let out a loud gasp of pain while Beca fumbled for the fist that Chloe had used to accidentally punch the creepy figure. Beca gently took hold of Chloe’s hand while removing her arm from around Chloe’s shoulders, the redhead sitting up slightly.

“Dude, are you okay??” Beca asked through the darkness as the cart began moving again. Chloe was hissing slightly between her teeth.

“Yeah.” She managed to force out, wincing slightly, “Just a knee-jerk reaction.”

The cart suddenly trundled out of the ride and back into fresh air. Beca’s eyes quickly adjusted the new light, still looking at Chloe in concern. She looked down at the redhead’s fist that was still in her hands. It didn’t look too swollen, nor did it look broken. It looked similar to how her own hand had looked after she’d punched someone in her freshman year. It hadn’t been broken back then and she was confident Chloe’s fist wasn’t broken now.

Chloe wasn’t looking down at her fist. She knew what it probably looked like. She was too entranced by the expression on Beca’s face. The brunette looked  _concerned_. But…in an affectionate way. And Chloe liked it a lot.

The cart came to a stop and the ride assistant arrived by their side, looking a little disgruntled. She unlocked the safety pole and lifted it from Beca and Chloe’s laps.

“Got scared huh?” she asked in a rather grumpy tone and Beca and Chloe both looked from each other to her.

“You should really tell your scary dudes in there to not go so close to the carts next time.” Beca said as she peeled herself from the cart, holding a hand out to help Chloe out after her.

Chloe took Beca’s hand with her good hand, stepping off the cart, not looking at the ride assistant once. She could get in a lot of trouble if she wasn’t careful..

The two women began walking away from the ride, hand in hand. Beca swallowed loudly before letting out a heavy sigh, finally releasing the pent-up fear that had been building throughout the short Haunted ride. They needed something to take their mind off what they’d just been through. And Chloe needed something to numb the pain of her fist.

Chloe was busy looking at Beca affectionately. It was weird being able to walk with her hand-in-hand. Finally! After so many years of longing to do it. And Beca had held her so protectively during that haunted ride. Had held her fist so delicately when they’d come to the end of that ride.

Chloe was still just in a bit of shock that Beca liked her at all. That she was interested in her enough romantically to have invited her on  _a date_. In public. When they could bump into everyone they knew. And those people would see them walking hand-in-hand. Beca - who was normally so against PDA or affection of most kinds. But not tonight it seemed.

“We need to get you something to numb that pain.” Beca said, turning to look at Chloe seriously, the two of them stepping closer together to slip between a group of friends that had been walking towards them.

Chloe looked up ahead and her eyes lit up, “Oh! Cotton Candy??”

Beca turned to see what Chloe had noticed, furrowing her brow. Because no, that hadn’t been what she’d been thinking. She’d been going to suggest a couple of shots or some champagne from the bar. But beside that bar was a cotton candy stall.

And hey, if Chloe wanted cotton candy, then Beca would  _totally_  buy her cotton candy.

“Uh, yeah. Sure.” Beca said with a soft smile, “If it’ll soften the blow?”

Chloe’s mouth began salivating at the thought of cotton candy. Yeah, it definitely would!

And the two best friends headed for the cotton candy stall, happily hand-in-hand.


	5. Cotton Candy

Beca handed two sticks of cotton candy out to Chloe before paying the stall holder for them. The redhead waited patiently with a soft smile on her face. Beca had paid  _yet again,_ even though Chloe had insisted that she didn’t need to because Beca had paid for the Tin Can game (“Doesn’t count.” Beca protested.) and the Haunted Ride. But for some reason Beca seemed determined to be ‘the guy’ on this first date - treating Chloe to things - rather than allowing herself to be treated too.

Once her best friend has rejoined her, Chloe handed one of the sticks of cotton candy to Beca and they began slowly wandering away together. It was as though the short reprieve that they had been apart - to order and pay for the cotton candy - had made them feel nervous around each other again.

Chloe still couldn’t help her gaze drifting over to Beca, still stunned that the woman wanted to date her. And Beca, meanwhile, looked down at her cotton candy with a small smile on her face, picking at the sugary treat, popping tiny bits into her mouth.

“What do you look for in a relationship?” Chloe suddenly asked, surprising herself with the outburst. She watched as Beca choked slightly, closely followed by a chuckle.

“ _Wow_.” Beca replied mid-chuckle, and Chloe looked down at her own cotton candy in embarrassment.

“Sorry, that was a bit too forward of me..” the redhead mumbled, her cheeks flushing pink slightly as Beca’s chuckles subsided.

“No it…” Beca began, glancing back over at Chloe who definitely looked embarrassed and Beca felt bad for her. This was Chloe doing what Chloe did best. She was forward about things and passionate and yeah it was sometimes hard for Beca to handle but that was only because Beca didn’t really know anyone else like it.

“Well it’s quite a big commitment bomb.” She explained, hoping her words were tactful enough that it wouldn’t freak Chloe out and ruin this date. “I mean…we’ve only been on this date for…forty minutes.” Beca said, having looked at her watch. She wasn’t overly sure exactly how long the date had been going on for because she had been having such a nice time. But it was around that.

Chloe’s shoulders dipped slightly, feeling awful for having made Beca feel so uncomfortable. At least, she thought she had, until she heard her best friend add in a soft affectionate voice: “But you never were one to do things by halves…”

Beca watched as Chloe looked over at her again, a small smile growing on the redhead’s face, and Beca calmed slightly. That must have been the right thing to say. And to Beca’s relief, Chloe tugged her bottom lip between her teeth thoughtfully. That was a sign Chloe was happily curious about what had been said.

“So to answer your question.” Beca said as she turned back to look out at the direction they were walking in, which was no specific direction at all, though the number of people walking around them seemed to have lessened slightly, “I would say I’d like to be in a relationship with someone I enjoy spending time with. Someone who shares a passion for music like I do. Someone who will give me space when I need it - I like my space from time to time. And someone who will allow me to be unapologetically myself.”

“Unapologetically yourself?” Chloe asked, not overly sure what her best friend meant. She could see herself being all those things that Beca would want from a relationship. She just wanted to check she tick the last box too.

“Yeah, like…” Beca began, picking at her cotton candy, trying to find the right words to explain, “…like you know how I have a cloudy day here and there. Well I need to be in a relationship with someone who gets that I have days like that and doesn’t judge me badly for it.”

Chloe swallowed loudly. Well that was easy. That was essentially the story of their friendship so far. Beca had often had ‘cloudy days’ and Chloe still remained deeply in love with her.

“Did Jesse used to judge you?” Chloe asked, quickly kicking herself when she realised that bringing up an ex during a date wasn’t the coolest of discussions. But fortunately, Beca didn’t seem to mind, but kept her eyes ahead of them while they continued walking.

“Jesseeeee…” she began, trying to come up with the right words again, “Jesse just couldn’t understand why I was so unhappy. He always assumed I was unhappy with him when really I was unhappy with myself.”

Chloe remained silent while she allowed the reality of what Beca had said to sink in. She knew Beca wasn’t always happy with herself. The brunette had never said, but Chloe was always hyper-aware of other people’s emotions. She  _knew_  Beca.

“But you’ve never been like that.” Beca continued in an optimistic tone, “You’ve always just let me do my thing without trying to solve me.”

Chloe smiles gently, looking over at Beca just as Beca looked back at her and they held one another’s gaze for a few moments.

“I suppose that’s why I like you so much.” Beca added, her cheeks flushing pink slightly. Chloe’s heart soared. It was still nice to hear, especially coming from Beca’s mouth. Beca  _liked_  her!

“Why I could…you know…” Beca hesitated, her smile growing while she looked down at her feet, “…imagine my future with you.”

Chloe looked down at her own feet, her own smile growing. She tried to hide how thrilled she was about what Beca was implying. That there was a potential for some serious commitment following this date if they carried on at the rate they were going. This wasn’t normal first date behaviour. Chloe had been on loads of first dates before but never had she discussed a  _future_  with said date. And certainly not forty five minutes into the date.

But Beca was different. Chloe  _knew_  Beca and Beca knew Chloe. So that part of a date - the getting to know each other part - wasn’t necessary. Chloe felt comfortable with Beca. She felt  _safe_.

“I can imagine my future with you too.” Chloe agreed quietly, biting her bottom lip as she turned to look over at Beca again.

Beca’s smile grew, her heart skipping a beat at Chloe’s words. It was nice to hear that Chloe felt the same way. It meant the world to her. Knowing so early on on their date that they were hoping for the same outcome - that they were on the same page - was reassuring. And yeah, the future was a little scary, but it was also a little bit exciting too. Exciting to know that that future would feature Chloe too. In a substantial role in Beca’s life.

The brunette turned to look back over at Chloe, and this time the redhead slowly reached out and took Beca’s hand. Their fingers laced together, and Beca’s smile broadened when she felt Chloe squeeze her hand excitably.

She liked this. She liked being with Chloe like this.

They both let out quiet sighs of content while they continued along the path together.


	6. Need To Know

“So…” Beca began and Chloe paused her attempt at plucking a small mouthful of cotton candy from her stick with her teeth to look at the woman beside her, whose hand she still held, “I can’t have been the only person to ask you out to this grad ball tonight…”

Chloe hesitated for a moment, spying the curious expression on Beca’s face. The brunette was right, she hadn’t been the only person to ask her out to this grad ball. There’d been that handsome guy from The Treblemakers who was actually only at the end of his freshman year (and a whole  _seven years younger_  than Chloe); two separate guys from her Russian Lit class; a guy she’d randomly bumped into on the campus café; Stacie Conrad’s younger brother who was coming to the end of his Sophomore year at a different college (but he was apparently “willing to travel to Barden for it”); and finally a guy she’d bumped into at Graduation earlier that day.

“That’s because you weren’t.” Chloe admitted, “I got asked out by six different guys to this thing tonight.”

Beca’s mouth dropped open slightly in surprise. Well…not surprise that Chloe had been asked out by other people. After all, Chloe was stunning. A total catch. But Beca was surprised that she’d been asked out by  _so many_!

“Six different guys??” Beca exclaimed, “Wh-…and you said no to  _all_  of them?”

Chloe let out a light chuckle, her smile broadening and Beca enjoyed its sound while the redhead replied, “Well I’m here with you aren’t I?”

Beca’s eyebrows rose, looking up ahead of them to see that they were gradually approaching the Ferris wheel again. Surely they hadn’t been around this whole carnival already?

“Yeah but…I mean, I’ve seen the guys that are interested in you and…they’re not exactly  _unattractive_ , Chlo.”

Chloe had to admit, Beca wasn’t wrong. All of the guys that had asked her out had been rather handsome in their own ways. But she’d said no for one very clear reason.

“Yeah but none of them are you.”

Beca swallowed loudly at Chloe’s soft words, and she slowly turned to look at her best friend, a small smile growing on her face. She pulled her bottom lip briefly between her teeth then let it go again. Chloe appeared to be looking at her as though she’d put the stars in the sky and held the sun over the earth. Beca was lost for words as she watched her date begin to explain what she meant while waggling her cotton candy stick about, not really paying any attention to it:

“This is going to sound a bit selfish but…when I found out that you and Jesse broke up the other week I… _kinda_  started getting really hopeful that you’d ask me out on a date before we left Barden for good. So when each of those guys asked me out I said no, just in case  _you_ asked me out.”

Beca was still a little stunned by what she was hearing. But  _happy_ -stunned. Like she still couldn’t believe that someone as beautiful and charming and exciting as Chloe could be interested in someone as boring and closed-off as her.

“I thought I felt some sort of… _something_ …the other weekend at Aubrey’s retreat. Something between us across the campfire when you looked at me. That’s when my hopes got that little bit bigger. Like it might actually happen. That’s when I-“

But Chloe stopped her sentence suddenly, letting out a sharp gasp and Beca stopped them both in their tracks as they watched Chloe’s cotton candy stick fall to the ground, with all the cotton candy on it.

“Ohhh…” Chloe whined a little in disappointment, “…oh  _why_  do I wave my hands so much?”

Beca wasted no time in holding her own stick of cotton candy out towards her, a soft smile on her face, “Here.”

Chloe hesitated, looking at the stick Beca held out at her then back up at the brunette, “A-Are you sure?”

“Of course I am, dude.” Beca replied in a voice that was the kindest tone Chloe had ever heard come from Beca’s mouth. Chloe took the cotton candy stick.

The two best friends stood looking at each other with soft smiles on their faces, their hands still held. Every ounce of Beca’s being was screaming at her to go for it. To lean towards Chloe and kiss her. But she hadn’t been on many first dates before so wasn’t sure what the etiquette was. In fact, the only first date she’d ever been on had been with Jesse four years ago. And that had been  _after_  they’d had their first kiss - Beca having found him in the audience after their ICCA Finals performance.

“Did you want to go on the Ferris Wheel?” Beca eventually croaked out, and she watched in delight as her best friend’s eyes lit up, Chloe head looking at the ride up ahead of them.

“I’d love to!” came the reply, and just as they began continuing down the path towards it, Chloe added seriously, “But under one condition.”

Beca hesitated as she looked over at the woman, a little worried about what that condition might be. But she needn’t have worried. Because Chloe was about to insist on something Beca had expected her date to eventually insist:

“I pay for us to go on it.”

Beca’s smile grew gently, loving the feel of Chloe squeezing her hand affectionately at intervals while they kept their fingers entwined, their hands swinging together between them.

“Deal.”

Unbeknownst to Beca and Chloe however, a little way across the carnival area they were being watched. By a gaggle of Barden Bellas. All of whom were completely stunned by what they were seeing: Beca & Chloe…seemingly  _on a date_!


	7. Finding Out

Okay, even Fat Amy had to admit - Barden had done alright setting this carnival up for the seniors on Graduation day. It was no ‘Sydney Festival’. But it’d do.

The Australian stood patiently in the queue at the burrito stall with three of her fellow Bellas - Jessica, Ashley, and Stacie - when the rest of their group - Cynthia Rose, Flo, and Lilly - arrived excitably by their sides, led by Legacy, the newest recruit. Despite being the youngest and still a freshman, the teen’s long legs made her look fairly older than she was, so had managed to blag her way in with the rest of The Bellas.

“We’ve just seen Beca and Chloe!” Legacy gushed, her smile broad while her eyes remained wide in wonder.

“Ugh thank God! I lost Beca before we got to the gate.” Amy said of her best friend. But before she could ask where they were or what they were doing, Stacie chipped in with a furrowed brow:

“Hang on a minute. You saw them  _together_?”

“Yep.” Cynthia Rose said with a grin, and she looked over at Stacie with an expression that had Stacie squealing in delight.

“Seriously??”

“ _Seriously_.” Cynthia Rose confirmed while the women she’d arrived with nodded, all wearing equally large smiles. But Fat Amy was a little confused.

“Okay what are you guys  _smiling_  about?”

She looked from Cynthia Rose to Stacie over to Jessica and Ashley - who also seemed to understand what this meant - over to Flo, Lilly and Legacy. They all turned to her.

“Beca and Chloe were  _holding hands_!” Flo said with an expression that showed just how much she couldn’t believe Amy hadn’t cottoned onto what they were suggesting.

Fat Amy let out a huge yelp that had the rest of The Bellas jumping slightly in surprise. She immediately began looking at the people around them, desperately wishing she could remember what Beca had been wearing so she could spot her a little quicker

“Wh-Where??” Amy asked, not noticing the way her friends looked to one another with amused expressions. They knew what a big deal this would be to the blonde. She’d been idealising Beca and Chloe’s potential for romance for almost as long as she’d known them. And from what some of them had seen of Beca and Chloe earlier, she might be right after all.

“They were approaching the Cotton Candy stall.” Legacy said while motioning in the direction they’d just come from.

Suddenly all of Amy’s hunger had disappeared. There was a new priority and that was ‘Bloe’. So the Australian began striding off without a moments hesitation. The remainder of The Bellas looked at one another again, rolling their eyes, knowing exactly what Amy was like. Then they all silently agreed they would follow and began headed in their friend’s direction.

Sure enough, by the time they’d eventually caught up with the woman, they found her hidden (fairly poorly) behind a tree trunk, her back leaning against it, looking rather out of breath.

“They’re over there!” She whispered, pointing her thumb behind her, and The Bellas all peered around the tree in that direction. Sure enough, there was Beca and Chloe, walking slowly, each with a stick of cotton candy in their hand.

Their other hands were held between them, their fingers laced, and they both looked very content together. Chloe was chatting rather animatedly about something while Beca smiled softly at her. The Bellas were all pretty stunned. They’d never seen Beca look so… _calm_ before.

Suddenly Flo, Jessica and Legacy all let out small gasps, and Cynthia Rose mumbled out a “ _Shhhit_ ” as all of the women behind the tree saw Chloe’s cotton candy stick fall to the floor. The redhead’s signature bottom lip stuck out in dismay as she and Beca came to a sudden stop.

But something unexpected happened. They watched as Beca immediately held her own cotton candy out to Chloe, and after a short amount of hesitation Chloe took it. Beca had  _shared something!_

The Bellas watched in awe as the two women slowly headed towards the giant Ferris wheel towards the front of the carnival and grinned. There was no doubting for a second that Beca and Chloe were on a date. But the biggest question on each Bellas’ mind was: how long had they been going out for??

“Beca and Jesse only broke up six weeks ago.” Legacy hissed as they all slowly, secretly made their way towards the Ferris wheel themselves, watching as Beca and Chloe waited in a small queue to get on the ride, “She’s moved on pretty quickly don’t you think?”

“Oh  _please_.” Stacie replied with a roll of her eyes, “Six weeks is nothing! And this is  _Chloe_! It would’ve been weird if they  _hadn’t_  started dating by now!”

The Bellas all came to a stop, watching while Beca and Chloe stepped into one of the Ferris wheel carts. The door was closed behind them and from what the women could see, their two co-captains were sat very close. That all but confirmed their suspicions.

“Come on!” Fat Amy bellowed, quickly dashing from her friends towards the ride, “Let’s get on this thing and keep spying!”

The Bellas, though initially reluctant were all low-key squeeing inside at the idea of Beca and Chloe  _finally_  being a couple. So wasted no time in racing after the blonde to try to get in a Ferris wheel cart of their own before getting spotted…


	8. The Ferris Wheel

The door of the Ferris wheel passenger pod closed behind Beca and Chloe as they settled into the long seat the ran along one of the sides of the pod. They sat close, their outer thighs touching, their hands still held between them, resting in Beca’s lap.

Beca knew Chloe. And she knew how excited her best friend was, watching the redhead affectionately as the ride started up again and their pod slowly began rising. Chloe had this huge beaming smile on her face as she looked out of the window before them, clearly excited to see the skyline hopefully lit up in the night.

The ride came to a stop, presumably to have the inhabitants of the next pod step off so new people could go on the ride. There was something so intimate about being alone with Chloe like this. They were out in public together. But this particular ride made it feel like they had privacy.

As the pod began moving slowly again, Beca reached out with her free hand and plucked some of the cotton candy from the stick. She glanced at Chloe who was now watching her with a sweet smile. Beca sucked the candy from her fingertips before looking back out of the window. She felt nervous. Not as nervous as she had done when Chloe had first found her earlier that evening. But nervous enough that had her desperately scrambling for some words. She hated how awkward she was sometimes. Though this was Chloe. At least Chloe never judged her.

The pod came to another steady stop and Beca felt Chloe squeeze her hand in a way that felt as though Chloe was trying to assure her that this was okay. That the silence was okay.

And it was. Chloe didn’t mind in the slightest. She was just thrilled to be alone like this with Beca. To be able to hold her hand and sit this close to her.

“Can I kiss you?”

Chloe’s heart skipped a beat, and she saw Beca slowly turn to look at her nervously. Her words had been said so softly that Chloe was lucky she’d heard them at all.

Beca watched as a shy smile slowly spread over Chloe’s face, and the redhead nodded gently with a whispered “ _Uhuh_.” Beca’s heart was racing at a million miles an hour. It had been pure guts blurting out what she’d been desperate to ask Chloe. And kissing her might be enough to convey just how much she’d fallen for her. Just how much she cared. Just how much she… _loved_  her.

Beca slowly drew her face towards Chloe’s, hesitating for a moment the second her nose nudged against the nook of Chloe’s nose - between the nostril and cheek. Their eyes fluttered closed. Their short sharp breaths washed over one another’s skin, sweet from the cotton candy. And the warmth of it sent tingles down their respective spines. This was what they’d been after for minutes. Hours. Days.  _Years_.

They were nervous and excited all in one. This was it.

Then, ever so delicately, their lips met. Soft, supple, and sweet.

Beca’s mind immediately went blank. Everything escaped it. But one thing remained. Chloe. And her mind began drifting at the thoughts of how perfect this kiss felt. How  _right_  it felt.

Kissing Jesse had always felt like a chore when she’d been dating him - not least of all because towards the end of their relationship the only person she thought about during those kissing sessions was Chloe. Beca had always wondered what Chloe’s mouth would feel like. How it would taste. Whether Chloe’s tongue would try to dominate Beca’s whole mouth like Jesse’s had always tried to.

Beca had even gone as far as to tell Jesse to freshly shave before he saw her. She never told him why. She never told him that it was because it made imagining he was Chloe that little bit easier. Beca knew she should’ve broken up with Jesse long before he eventually broke up with her. But she’d been too lazy. Too awkward. In the end the long-distance had been enough to break them apart.

The pod suddenly jolted and began moving again, forcing Beca and Chloe to break their gentle kiss. They pulled their faces apart slightly, their lips hovering over one another’s while they tried to comprehend what they’d just done.

“I’ve wanted to do that for years.” Beca mumbled with a small smile that caused a smile to wash over Chloe’s face.

“And I’ve wanted you to do that for years.” she replied in a gentle tone, bringing the tip of her nose up to caress the tip of Beca’s nose.

The realisation of what this meant - that they’d both longed to be together romantically long before tonight - was a bit of a sobering thought. But they were here together now. And they still weren’t at the top of this Ferris wheel. They had time.

Beca grinned while she marvelled at how soft the tip of Chloe’s nose felt against her own, and as the pod slowed to a stop again, Beca and Chloe both drew their lips together once again. This time the kiss was firmer. Surer.

And Beca decided in that moment that she would never want to kiss another person again. This was it for her. Chloe. It had always been Chloe. It would always be Chloe. And she hoped beyond all hope that she was enough for Chloe in return.

She felt the redhead slipping her tongue lightly across her bottom lip. Patiently. And Beca slowly parted her lips to allow Chloe access. She had been amazed at how gentle the woman was when sliding her tongue into her mouth. It wasn’t dominating in the slightest. It was almost…polite - if that was even possible. Like it respected the inside of Beca’s mouth. It didn’t force it’s way in with a bucket-full of saliva.

Beca moved her own tongue up to meet Chloe’s in her own mouth, slipping it over the muscular organ. And as she did she heard a light hum sound from the back of Chloe’s throat. Beca hadn’t heard that sound before. She liked it.

The pod came to another stop and that was when Beca and Chloe naturally broke their deep kiss. They had been so engrossed by their kiss that they hadn’t realised the Ferris wheel had been continuing round. The two women parted, goofy grins on their faces as they looked at one another.

“You taste like cotton candy.” Chloe said with a sweet chuckle and Beca chuckled back.

“Funny that.” Beca replied, motioning to the cotton candy stick. But to her surprise the cotton candy stick was no longer in Chloe’s hand and the redhead looked down to see why her date was so shocked.

“Oh. Yeah.” Chloe said in an embarrassed tone, “I had to put it down. It felt weird kissing you while holding it. Like I wasn’t completely invested in the kiss.”

Beca noticed the way the cotton candy stick now rolled slightly on the floor of the pod the Ferris wheel began moving again. And the brunette grinned in amusement, turning back to her best friend.

“Well you definitely  _felt_  invested.”

The two women chuckled, settling back down and looking out at the large window of the pod. They’d just reached the top.

Beca felt and heard Chloe let out a heavy happy sigh, the woman’s head resting on her shoulder. She felt Chloe reach out for her other hand, and Beca held their hands in her lap before resting her head on Chloe’s.

“I’m loving this.” She heard her date say in a peaceful tone and Beca smiled calmly, placing a gentle kiss on the Chloe’s head before resuming her position.

“Me too.”


	9. Hopes and Dreams

The Ferris Wheel was gradually coming to an end for the two seniors, with only one pod left to empty in front of them before they had to step off the ride themselves. Beca and Chloe hadn’t kissed any more times than when they’d first kissed towards the beginning of the ride. They’d just sat snuggled peacefully together. Their hands entwined. Their hearts beating as one.

“So in terms of first dates…” Chloe asked gently, unwinding her left hand from Beca’s so she could draw light circles across the back of the brunette’s hand with her fingertips, “…does this meet your expectations so far?”

She held her breath for a moment, not wanting to miss anything that Beca might say. She hoped that this  _was_  meeting the woman’s expectations. Chloe didn’t want this to be their only date and she didn’t want it to be remembered as a bad date. It…didn’t  _feel_  bad. Chloe was really enjoying it. It was actually the best first date she’d ever been on! And she’d been on a lot of first dates.

“It’s hard for me to say really.” Beca answered in a quiet voice and Chloe thought she could sense a slight hint of embarrassment to it. Why was Beca embarrassed? “I’ve never been on a proper first date before tonight.”

Chloe snapped her head up from Beca’s shoulder and looked at her best friend in shock. Beca looked back awkwardly.

“Wha-? But…you were with  _Jesse_! You can’t tell me that guy didn’t take you on a date!”

“No he did. It was just…it was different to what a normal first date would probably be.” Beca tried to explain, looking down at her hands while Chloe drifted her fingertips affectionately across them, “We’d already kissed.”

Chloe didn’t really need to hear that bit. She could still remember it all so clearly. How jealous she’d felt of Jesse. How upset she’d been afterwards even though they’d won the ICCAs.

“And our first date was to the movies - a place I hated going to anyway but he loved. And he bought my ticket which was good of him and we shared some popcorn. But…”

Chloe swallowed loudly as she watched the woman beside her sigh sadly. Clearly this had been something on her mind for a long time.

“…it’d bummed me out that he hadn’t thought about what I might’ve wanted to do on our first date. My  _first ever date_ with  _anyone_  and…I’d felt so uncomfortable.”

Chloe let it all sink in. Beca didn’t often reveal her vulnerabilities. Didn’t often talk about her feelings and worries. Nor her hopes and dreams. She was…just Beca. And Chloe adored every bit of her.

“Is…is this date okay for you?” Chloe asked tentatively, not overly sure if she wanted the answer. What if it wasn’t okay for Beca? What if she was uncomfortable stuffed in this little pod on a Ferris Wheel with Chloe who was often so forward. Too forward sometimes. Did she feel claustrophobic? Did she want out? Did she want to end this date and-

“Oh God, dude. This date is…” Beca quickly said, turning to Chloe before pausing. A small smile spread on her face as she said in a calm voice, “…perfect. It feels exactly how a first date should feel.”

A relieved smile washed over Chloe’s face while Beca squeezed her hands in assurance. They kept their eyes locked as the pod they were in slowly came to a stop and the door was opened by the ride assistant.

Beca reached down to pick the cotton candy up off the floor of the pod, then stood up, motioning towards the door for Chloe to leave first. The redhead did so, a content smile on her face as she stepped off the pod and out into the mild night air.

Chloe waited for Beca to join her and once they were reunited again, the redhead slipped her hand beneath Beca’s, their fingers entwining again. They both began wandering away together. Content smiles on their faces. Then suddenly, Chloe had an idea.

She tugged Beca’s hand so they would begin walking in a different direction and looked back at her date with an excitable grin. Beca just looked confused.

“Wha-?” Beca began but Chloe just giggled.

“Come on.” She said with a grin, “There’s somewhere we haven’t been yet!”

Chloe knew exactly where she was going. Exactly where to take Beca. And she knew it was somewhere her best friend would love…


	10. Silent

Beca stepped down from the final bar of the long ladder and her feet landed on the floor of the abandoned pool at Barden’s Athletic Facility. She had a big set of headphones over her ears that were lit up in a blue colour. And she turned to look at the hundreds of people stood within the deep empty pool.

Her mouth hung open in awe. There were no top lights on, but light bars and lanterns lined the top edge of the pool, giving the area a cool glow. The figures before her all moved to the beat of whatever song they were listening to through their headphones. Some chatted loudly to their friends. Some sang loudly to the song they were listening to.

There were three separate colours that the headphones were lit up in. Some were lit in blue. Some lit up in green. And some lit up in red. Each of those colours represented a different DJ. Beca looked up at the edge of the empty pool opposite her and a small smile spread across her face. The ‘blue DJ’ had a neon-blue lit booth, dancing in their booth with blue lit headphones on. To Beca’s left, up on the poolside, stood the ‘green DJ’ with their neon-green booth and green lit headphones. And up on the poolside to Beca’s right was the ‘Red DJ’ with neon-red booth and red headphones.

Beca felt her best friend reach out and take her hand, and the brunette looked to her with a grin. A silent disco! She’d never been to a Silent disco before!

“This is amazing!” Beca yelled above the sound of ‘[ _Cant Stop_](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Ftrack%2F3ZOEytgrvLwQaqXreDs2Jx%3Fsi%3DTlXxzrVnQfmDSJgukUX1bA&t=ODczNmQ2YmNkNTM0ZjYwZTA2MTM0YmQ2MWI3MzliODM1NDM1MDZkZixlNjc2NTdkYjQ2ZDA0MzQ1N2M5NmRhNDRlNzM4NzFjODljZTExYTA2)’ by Red Hot Chilli Peppers, that was blasting through her blue-lit headphones. She noticed Chloe’s headphones were also lit up in blue. They were listening to the same song.

“Told you it would be!” Chloe yelled back - Beca just hearing her above the music.

They shared a smile, then the redhead began tugging her by her hand into the thick of the people stood within the carcass of the old pool. Beca did nothing but watch Chloe while she bumbled along behind her, loving how enamoured her best friend looked.

This was  _so_  Chloe. A quirky venue for a quirky little event. Being with Chloe was exciting. Unexpected. And Beca actually enjoyed it. She’d enjoyed the thrill of not knowing where Chloe was taking her but trusting the woman when she told her that she’d love it. And Beca truly did. This was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. And the low lighting only served to enhance Beca’s other senses, happily smelling Chloe’s perfume as she guided them to a stop near some other ‘blue-lit people’.

Beca just stood and watched Chloe with a grin while the woman let go of her hand then began rolling her hips to the beat of ‘[ _Cant Stop_](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Ftrack%2F3ZOEytgrvLwQaqXreDs2Jx%3Fsi%3DTlXxzrVnQfmDSJgukUX1bA&t=ODczNmQ2YmNkNTM0ZjYwZTA2MTM0YmQ2MWI3MzliODM1NDM1MDZkZixlNjc2NTdkYjQ2ZDA0MzQ1N2M5NmRhNDRlNzM4NzFjODljZTExYTA2) _’._ Neither had ever seen the appeal in the song. But the beauty of being here together meant that neither of them cared what they listened to. It was the experience of being here together that mattered.

Beca let out a chuckle as her date dove towards her, reaching out and taking her hands, moving them with her to try to encourage her to dance. So Beca rolled her eyes, her smile becoming coy as she began jigging a bit to the song. It would be so much easier to dance if she had a bit of alcohol in her system. But Beca powered on, allowing her eyes to close while she tried to embrace the beat.

Earlier, Beca had sensed from the way Chloe kept squeezing her hand that she‘d been excited, and if Chloe was excited about something then usually that something wasn’t an unpleasant thing. That’s why when she dutifully followed Chloe through the carnival and up to the entrance of the Athletic Facility, she wasn’t afraid of where Chloe might be taking her.

Had it been a couple of years ago, Beca night have feared that Chloe would have them enrol in some sort of ‘post-graduate cult’. She would’ve imagined that within twenty minutes of arriving at this very place, they would’ve had some leader smear the blood of a previous post-grad across their foreheads and they would’ve had to have chanted some sacred text.

But not now. Beca trusted Chloe’s judgement. She trusted that the woman only ever had her best interest at heart. And that was what made this first date so perfect. Chloe had taken her here because she truly believed that Beca would love it. And Beca had surprised herself - because she did!

As her eyes fluttered open she realised that Chloe had dropped one of her hands and had managed to change the colour of her own headphones so that they were now tuned to the red channel. Chloe was now listening to something different to Beca, and Beca was curious about what the woman might be listening to that brought such a massive smile to her face.

Beca brought her free hand up to her headphones and tapped them once. Sure enough, the music changed, and she could tell by the colour reflecting on her hand as she brought it down from her head that she was now also on the red channel. And she immediately grinned back at Chloe.

‘[ _Party In The USA_](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Ftrack%2F3E7dfMvvCLUddWissuqMwr%3Fsi%3Dk_TsXlBcSgy2YdFO2j9v8g&t=ODhmNzNmNDZmMjAyM2JhMWFmZTg1Nzc5ZWM4MWMwMTM5ZDdjOTU5ZSw1OGVjODZhYzIwYTQ3YWY1MTAxOTYwMWI1OWU5NGM4NTY2ZDk0YzBl)’ was busy blasting through their headphones, and the two women danced merrily together, singing at the top of their lungs to the words.

About half an hour on, Beca and Chloe were both happily dancing at the Silent Disco, having flitted between all three channels now. Both had stuck religiously to channel changing together, enjoying the excitement of being surrounded by people listening to the other channels. It was as though they were the only two in on a secret. A musical secret.

Beca suddenly noticed that a lot of the ‘Red channel’ folk had raised their hands in the air, and she stopped dancing then shrugged her headphones off for a moment with a furrowed brow. She heard the ‘red channel’ people cheering loudly. And as she looked around she noticed a lot of the other attendees changing from their blue or green channels to the red channel too, presumably to see what all the fuss was about. And they too seemed excited.

Beca quickly slipped her headphones back on a changed the channel to the red channel. A smile grew over her face. ‘[ _Viva La Vida_](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Ftrack%2F4zOfy9kqJlG0ZXvcaSh4gv%3Fsi%3DdRR3XKPKSzaqb0VEIqPWOg&t=OTRhNjVlMzI2MzNlMmMyNjJjMmRlMTc5NWQ4YjBmNDhhMTc1Yjg4MixkYjUzNTU3ZDhkYjgwZTc3NGE2ZGY5NDQxNjAxNzIzZmJjMGRiMGI1)’ was midway through the first verse. A song that was full of so much hope and promise. And she could see exactly why it had caused so much excitement.

She found her own body moving to the beat, getting caught up in the movement of the bodies around her. From what she could see almost everyone in the empty pool was listening to the red channel. Smiles on their faces. Arms in the air.

Her eyes found their way to Chloe and she found herself hesitating for a moment. The redhead was stood still, a soft smile on her face. And her headphones were lit in a neon green.

Beca’s hand slowly rose to her headphones while everyone around them - with their red-lit headphones - yelled the lyrics to the chorus of ‘ _Viva La Vida’_ , getting ready for the climax of the song. But Beca tapped her headphones, changing the channel to the green channel. And her heart began thudding as she recognised a song she hadn’t heard in a long time, in it’s first chorus:

**Your heart is glowing/ and I’m crashing into you./ Baby kiss me/ before they turn the lights out./ Before they turn the lights out./ Baby love me lights out.**

Beca stood, frozen to the spot, her eyes locked with Chloe’s while their faces were lit periodically by the strobe lighting that was whizzing around the abandoned pool. Everyone else seemed to slip away from around them. There was nobody else but them.

**In the darkest night I’ll/ I’ll search through the crowd./ Your face is all that I see./ I’ll give you everything./ Baby love me lights out./ Baby love me lights out./ You can turn my light down.**

Beca’s smile grew slowly as the chorus came to an end and immediately ran into the next verse:

**We don’t have forever./ Baby daylight’s wasting./ You better kiss me/ before our time is run out.**

It was as though time had slowed down, and Beca watched as Chloe slowly stepped up to her, smoothing her hands around to the small of her back and allowing her arms to rest on Beca’s waist. The two women’s mouths hung open, soft smiles on their faces, their hearts racing, their chests heaving in anticipation against each other. Beca drew her arms around Chloe’s arms, linking her fingers at the small of the redhead’s waist, and they swayed slowly to the next part of the verse:

**Nobody sees what we see./ They’re just hopelessly gazing./ Baby take me/ before they turn the lights out./ Before our time is run out./ Baby love me lights out.**

Beca found her eyes drifting down to Chloe’s lips as Chloe’s eyes drifted down to Beca’s lips. They continued to sway, stuck in their little bubble while the chorus of [‘ _XO_ ’ by  _Beyoncé_](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Ftrack%2F40xhyfAPDoMtv494MfPevP%3Fsi%3DAq7_uBktQ4OwV5cGd8qo2Q&t=NmQ4ZGRiM2Y0ZGE4YmQ1ZjdhOTUxZTZjNjUzZTM1OGNhMGY3MDkzOSw3OTI1MDE0Yzk2YWY5MWM2MTBkOTBiOWNjODQzYThiY2NkOGFkNDZk) played through their headphones. The people around them - still listening to the red channel, seemingly unaware of the two women slow dancing in the middle of the abandoned pool - began chanting loudly to the climatic moment of ‘Viva La Vida’, jumping and clapping raucously. But Beca and Chloe didn’t notice.

Their noses were nudging gently at the nook between the other’s nostril and cheek. Their breath was caught in their respective throats. And their hearts continued to race as they experienced one of the most exhilarating and most romantic moments of their lives. Thrilled that they were experiencing it together.

Beca’s eyes drifted shut as she felt Chloe skim her lips lightly over hers, and it brought a smile to the brunette’s lips. This was intimate.  _Really intimate_. Even in the middle of a large crowd in a public area.

As the final chorus of ‘XO’ began playing in Beca and Chloe’s headphones, they gently drew their mouths together, kissing delicately while their hands remained wound around each other’s bodies. They continued to sway slowly to the beat while their heads rocked. It didn’t take long for Beca to slip her tongue gently into Chloe’s mouth and their kiss immediately deepened.

The song began to fade out, but was quickly overlapped with the next song of a similar sensuality and if Beca and Chloe hadn’t been so engrossed in making out in the middle of the abandoned pool, they might have wondered if the DJ had seen them and had chosen these songs for a reason. They were the only two listening to the green channel for the moment, with most of the other attendees set to the red channel, rocking out to ‘[ _Sweet Child O Mine_](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Ftrack%2F7o2CTH4ctstm8TNelqjb51%3Fsi%3DAZ0BAItbQjCgKR7wZOeFiA&t=OWYxMDFkNmExMWU1NDllMjYyNmU4YTk5NDNiYmI5ZDI0NzdlMjdiNixiNDBhMWFjNGQ0MDg4YzhhNzFmODMwYjRiNDA4MjNjNzUzZjA1NzE5)’, while the rest danced and sang to ‘ _[Sexyback](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Ftrack%2F40VAYnnGBDLQVXD8D1ager%3Fsi%3DpOBn0Z7oS3WD7wEV73OZOg&t=ZTBiNzcxNzM0YjY5ZjdiY2IxNDAxNTExN2JjMzNkMTYwNzE1MDU0OSw0YzNlNzAwY2ViMzBmY2Y1NGFhY2FiOWNjNWM5YTc3NTc0ODgyYTFl)_ ’ on the blue channel.

But Beca and Chloe were completely entranced by one another. How each other’s tongues felt. How the other tasted. How the other  _smelt_. How the other’s body felt against theirs.

As the [remix of ‘ _Desperado_ ’](https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Ftrack%2F6DsOw4KimkV4DG0PlwzevR%3Fsi%3DXftnTs2GSDOG-_HJEVUNag&t=OGFlNDNiNTQxOWE2YWJlZjU3YTM0YTE5Y2QzNGE3ZDcxYzBmMjE1OSwxODJlZWE5OWZkNThmMjA2NGZkMzFjMWI3NGY4NTRkM2QyNjY0NGFi) continued, Beca’s hands wandered slowly up to Chloe’s shoulders. She rested her arms on them, leaning her hips into Chloe while the redhead tightened her grip around Beca’s petite waist, dipping her slightly. The whole time they didn’t break their kiss.

In fact, if anything, their kissing became more feverish - making the most of the low light, the mood music, the situation, and the fact that nobody around knew them. And Beca smiled as she felt Chloe’s hands slowly creep down to gently squeeze her ass in encouragement.

The brunette’s hands drew their way up to Chloe’s face, cupping her cheeks for a moment before moving to the back of the redhead’s head, trying to deepen their already deep kiss. She wanted more. Desperately so.

Because this was everything. Chloe. Being here with her. In this moment.  _Making out in public_. Beca wasn’t sure what had happened to herself but she certainly wasn’t regretting it. She loved this side of her that was brought out by dating Chloe. She  _loved_  Chloe.

There were only a handful of people in the crowded abandoned pool that were listening to the same channel as them. One of them was a tall handsome young man with dark features. Stood frozen to the spot. Watching them from a few metres away in shock while his friends ‘air guitarred’ to the red channel.

Jesse hadn’t exactly expected to see Beca at Barden’s Silent Disco. He’d genuinely thought it’d be the last place she’d want to go. And he especially hadn’t ever expect her to be here with Chloe. And he  _definitely_  hadn’t expected to see her happily making out with Chloe Beale either.

He knew that he and Beca hadn’t been right for each other. He’d tried really hard to keep the romance alive. And he’d managed it for almost three years. All until he’d graduated early and gone over to LA to join a year’s Film programme at UCLA.

Benji and the other Trebles had pursuaded him to come back for the Grad Ball - insisting that a good night out with them would be exactly what he needed to get over Beca. And for the most part it had worked. Until he’d seen her in the one place he hadn’t expected to see her. Making out with the one person he hadn’t expected her to ever make out with.

Suddenly it all made sense. Beca’s distance and awkwardness and unhappiness. Jesse took a deep breath as he realised why those three years being in a relationship with his ex-girlfriend had been such a challenge.  _Beca was gay_ …


	11. Home

Beca and Chloe wandered up to the front door of their large sorority house. It was crazy to think that in just over a week they’d be moving out of here for good. The potential for their independence, gone. Chloe didn’t really want to think about what would happen after she left Barden. It had been that fear that’d stopped her from passing her senior year the past few years - never wanting it to end.

But knowing that Beca would be moving on and moving out too helped Chloe with her decision. She was happy to graduate this time around. Happy to graduate with her.

She watched as Beca looked over her shoulder at her with a big grin, successfully unlocking their front door. Chloe swore she’d never seen Beca smile so much before tonight. And Chloe loved that she was the cause of Beca’s happiness. There was this way her eyes seemed to shine out at her that had Chloe’s heart skipping a beat.

They both stepped inside and closed the door behind them. The two women held their breaths, trying to listen out for any sound of their housemates - their fellow Bellas. But there was no other sound in the dark house other than the sound of one another’s breathing.

Chloe felt her hand being taken, and Beca slowly guided them both upstairs. They’d made out a lot at the silent disco. A lot a lot. To the point where Chloe had absolutely no idea how long they’d been in there for. Just as she had no sense of what time it was now. For the first time ever she’d felt no urge to check her phone. And she’d actually liked the freedom.

She’d been on a lot of first dates before. But this was by far the best date she’d ever been on. And it had been with Beca Mitchell. The girl she’d had a crush on for years. Beca Mitchell had ended up becoming the girl of her dreams.

Once they reached the top of the stairs, Beca dropped Chloe’s hand and they both hovered awkwardly outside Chloe’s closed bedroom door.

“Well, here we are.” Beca said in a low voice, and Chloe saw through the dim light of the hallway that Beca had stuffed her hands nervously into her jacket pockets. A soft smile swept over the redhead’s face. Beca had been so sweet tonight. So chivalrous at times. And it made Chloe hope beyond anything that this date wasn’t a one-time thing. It couldn’t be.  _Surely_.

“Walking me to my door.” Chloe mused, glancing at her bedroom door for a moment before looking back at her best friend, “How very proper of you.”

Beca let out a light chuckle that had Chloe’s heart soaring, noting the way the brunette smiled a broad toothy grin.

“Yeah well, gotta make sure you get home safe after our date, don’t I.”

Chloe only replied with a light hum. She rocked back and forth from her heels to her toes and back again as she peered at Beca’s beautiful appearance. She thought she saw Beca glancing down at her lips again, but if she did then it was only a quick flicker, because the woman was soon looking deep into Chloe’s eyes again. Her smile having softened.

“I had the best time tonight.” Chloe admitted softly, and Beca nodded in agreement.

“Me too.”

There was a pause while the two women hesitated. Chloe desperately wanted to drag Beca into her bedroom and have her stay the night, even if they just laid together and made out here and there. Having kissed Beca for the first time earlier this evening, then having spent a long time making out with her at the silent disco a little while ago, Chloe was now addicted. She longed for the feel of Beca’s lips on hers again. For the taste of her tongue on her own.

“Did you…want to go out again sometime? On a second date?” Beca asked tentatively, pulling her hands from her jacket pocket so she could twist the ring on her index finger to help ease her anxiety. Chloe tugged her bottom lip between her teeth fleetingly, then let it go.

“I’d love to.” she answered softly. A big smile washed over Beca’s face that looked suspiciously like a relieved one, and Chloe reached out to take her hands.

“Tonight really meant a lot to me.” Chloe mumbled, squeezing Beca’s hands gently while their bodies hovered against one another, “Being with you in the way that we were…that meant a lot to me.”

“It meant a lot to me too.” Beca mumbled quietly, their faces drawing closer together with each racing heartbeat.

“ _You look so beautiful tonight_.” Beca managed to whisper just before the gap was finally closed between their mouths and their lips gently enclosed around each other. So soft. As if like a promise to the other that they would always care. That they would always mean the world to one another. That this kiss would be one of many more to come in the future.

The kiss broke slowly, and Beca and Chloe both brought their faces away from one another. Soft calm smiles on their faces. And they shared a look that they both knew meant the other was so pleased that tonight finally happened.

“Goodnight Chloe.” Beca mumbled as she stepped back from her best friend and Chloe smiled a cute smile, as though trying to hide how thrilled she was about Beca kissing her goodnight.

“Goodnight Beca.” Chloe replied, not tearing her eyes from Beca as the brunette walked backwards down the hallway until she reached the door of her attic bedroom. The two women chuckled at how silly it seemed - them both being so infatuated with one another that they couldn’t even tear their eyes from each other to walk to their respective bedrooms.

Chloe opened the door of her own bedroom just as Beca opened hers and they maintained eye contact as they stepped through their doors, both giggling as they kept their heads poking out into the hallway.

All until they both got cramp in their thighs and reluctantly chuckled one final goodnight each before entering their own bedrooms and closing the doors behind them. Chloe leant her back against her door and let out a huge heavy happy sigh. Her first date with Beca Mitchell. And it had been incredible. Perfect. Exactly how a first date should feel like. Exactly how a first date should go, from start to finish.

The redhead slipped out of her clothes with a contented sigh, rummaging in her bedroom draws for her pyjamas. It was a mild night and her bedroom was terrible for absorbing all the heat from the daytime sun. So she chose a pair of short pants and a camisole, sliding the garments over her body before tugging her rings from her fingers, and earrings from her ears.

Chloe paused for a moment, holding her breath as she heard a light knocking at the door of her bedroom. She made her way over and slowly pulled the door open.

There stood Beca, dressed in a pair of short pants and a camisole of her own. Her hair now tied up in a top knot. Her perfect makeup still remained. And she looked nervous.

“Uh…” Beca began, but Chloe didn’t give her time to try to think of what to say. The redhead lunged forward, reaching to cup Beca’s cheeks, and they immediately locked lips, kissing one another loudly and hungrily.

Chloe felt Beca’s hands at her hips, pushing her backwards into her bedroom. Their tongues slipped together in Chloe’s mouth while Beca shoved the door closed behind them, and the redhead was quick to push Beca backwards until her back landed loudly against the wooden door.

Their kiss broke and loud gasps left their mouths as they peered at each other through the moonlight that filtered into the room via Chloe’s window. Their chests rose and fell quickly. Chloe’s left hand continued to cup Beca’s cheek while her right hand smoothed gently across Beca’s neck and shoulder. Beca, meanwhile, had her hands up the back of Chloe’s cami, stroking her soft skin on her back.

“I don’t…” Beca managed to choke out, and Chloe sensed the woman’s nerves. She felt it too. She was both excited and terrified. “…I didn’t come here expecting anything.”

Sex. Beca was obviously talking about sex. Chloe knew it. Beca knew it. But they were both so caught up in the moment they didn’t have time to tease one another about how this probably  _wasn’t_  what should happen at the end of a first date.

“I didn’t think that you had.” Chloe mumbled back kindly, “But if you had…then it’s okay with me if it’s okay with you?”

She watched as Beca hesitated. Clearly this was a worry for the brunette. But it wasn’t like it wasn’t a worry for Chloe either.

“I don’t know what I’m doing when it comes to-“ Beca began but Chloe was quick to interrupt in the hope that it’d assure her.

“-Oh I don’t know what I’m doing when it comes to sex with a woman either!” she admitted, “But…I’m willing to work it out with you?” and to her relief a small smile poked in the corners of Beca’s mouth.

“ _Okay_.” The brunette whispered as she drew her lips back to Chloe’s and their feverish kissing began again…


	12. All The Way *M*

Beca let out the drowsiest, slightest of whines as she stirred in her sleep. She moved her bare legs slightly, wondering why they felt so heavy, then realised it was because they were weaved with Chloe’s bare legs. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking from the early morning sun that was filtering through the open window. As she blinked she remembered that she hadn’t fallen asleep in her bedroom overnight. And she hadn’t fallen asleep clothed…

_Beca had always wondered what Chloe’s boobs would feel like beneath her hands. How soft the skin of Chloe’s abdomen would feel against her lips. The brunette sat up on Chloe’s bed with her best friend straddling her hips - her left hand on Chloe’s right bare breast, keeping the woman’s cami top held up while she traced loud heavy kisses from her sternum down to her navel. Her right hand at the small of Chloe’s back, supporting her._

_All the while Chloe hummed. Her eyes closed and head tilted back. Her breathing as fast and laboured as Beca’s was. Her fingers at the back of Beca’s neck. Her hips rolling slightly._

_Beca ran her tongue up and her lips latched onto the nipple of Chloe’s left breast. The light moan that fell from Chloe’s mouth the second she began rolling her tongue around the nipple was a sound Beca never wanted to stop hearing. It was a sound that caused her pussy to throb and moisten. She’d always wanted to pleasure Chloe._

The arm that was lolling over Beca’s bare waist appeared to stiffen slightly and that was when the brunette knew the woman tucked into her back - the ‘big spoon’ - was also awake. Evidence that was strengthened by the soft kiss placed on Beca’s right shoulder blade.

A gentle smile spread across Beca’s face, and she brought her right hand to the hand hovering over her stomach, entwining her fingers with it.

“Good morning.” came Chloe’s groggy morning voice, her breath causing tingles to run down Beca’s naked body.

“Good morning.” Beca mumbled with a smile, her eyes fluttering closed. It was early. It  _must’ve_  been early. They still had plenty of time to lounge in bed naked like this.

_Beca’s eyes bulged the second Chloe pulled her cami from her upper body, chucking the garment down on the floor. She’d seen those boobs before, a few years ago. Completely by accident. But they were exactly how she remembered them. And Beca kicked her lips, her mouth watering as Chloe remained straddled around her hips._

_The brunette dove forward, suckling at Chloe’s right boob as though she were hungry. Chloe let out a light chuckle before letting out a moan. The moan that Beca had been after. She’d shed her own cami a few moments earlier and had enjoyed the look on Chloe’s face at the sight of her boobs. She was pleased that Chloe admired her aesthetically._

_Beca felt her cheeks cupped by Chloe and she released the redhead’s boob with a loud ‘pop’, barely taking a breath before Chloe ducked down to capture her lips in her own. They kissed noisily. Messily. Often missing one another’s mouths and capturing chins and cheeks and noses. Meanwhile, Chloe continued to grind against Beca while Beca’s hands drifted across Chloe’s bare skin. Their laboured breathing adding to the sensuality of this experience. They were one._

Beca turned in Chloe’s arms, her eyes still closed, and she let out a sleepy sigh. A soft smile spread across her face as she felt Chloe raise her hand from her waist and gently stroke the loose strands of her brown hair from her face. Beca let out a gentle hum of approval. She hadn’t ever been one who had enjoyed affection like this before. But Chloe was the acception.

_Beca suddenly wound both her arms around Chloe’s waist and began guiding her backwards to she laid on her back. The redhead let out a light squeak into Beca’s mouth as they kissed, landing gently on the bed._

_The woman broke the kiss, immediately drifting her tongue down from Chloe’s collarbone, down to her navel, then slurping deep kisses up to her left boob, finally suckling at it. All the while Chloe had been smiling, her hands in Beca’s hair, humming happily. They’d agreed on some rules about tonight._

_Yes, they were going to go all the way. And yes, it was going to be their first time going all the way with another woman. But they were still two very different people who had lived in their own bodies long enough to know what did and didn’t work for them._

_For example, Chloe had expressed that she loved receiving oral sex - but didn’t insist that Beca necessarily obliged in that department. They were just being honest with each other._

_Beca expressed that while she hadn’t enjoyed being given oral sex, she certainly wasn’t opposed to giving it another go - only if Chloe wanted to._

_Beca stated she’d never had an orgasm during penatrative sex, and had never had an orgasm at the hands of someone else. But she had had plenty of orgasms following masturbation (which she had promptly turned bright red after revealing - not that Chloe minded). Chloe agreed that she was in the same boat._

_So they’d secretly set themselves a little challenge to be the others’ first proper orgasm.._

Beca’s fingers slowly traced up Chloe’s bare side, down to her bare hip, then across to her bare ass, before repeating the pattern again. She’d never woken up like this before. Had never woken up feeling so calm and content.

_Beca’s tongue and lips slurped loud kisses below Chloe’s navel, her hands tugging gently at the woman’s short pants. Chloe lifted her hips so Beca could pull her final piece of clothing off, and then Beca saw the prize. The thing she’d dreamt of several times before now. The thing that smelt so enticing as it’s warm juices oozed from it’s core._

_She let out a sigh of content as she brought her mouth down and placed her lips over Chloe’s neatly trimmed pussy for the very first time. Beca smiled against the soft pubic hair at the sound of Chloe’s gasp, and the brunette pushed at her best friend’s legs with both hands to have Chloe open them wider for her._

_There Beca nestled - happy and content - contemplating daring to stick her tongue out to lap at the sticky warmth that was currently covering her chin. She’d never done this with a woman before. Had imagined it, sure. Had imagined doing it with Chloe, actually. But never in a million years believed she’d ever get the chance._

_She stuck her tongue out, and began sucking at Chloe’s clit while dipping her tongue in and out of the woman’s opening. Chloe’s moans deepened and Beca smiled again. This was fantastic. Why had she never done this before?_

_She’d given some blow jobs to Jesse over the years. But not many. She hadn’t really enjoyed the feel of his dick poking the back of her throat, toying with her gag reflex. But this? She could totally get on board with giving Chloe head for the rest of her life. It felt like magic - and she wasn’t even the one on the receiving end!_

“I seriously don’t know how I’ve lived my life before now.” Beca mumbled drowsily, and she could hear the amusement in Chloe’s voice as she replied softly:

“So you weren’t living last night?”

Beca furrowed her brow which only served to release a chuckle from Chloe’s mouth and Beca revealed a tiny smile. She loved being able to make Chloe happy. Even when she was being stupid.

“I was definitely living last night. Were you?” Beca replied. But she already knew the answer.

_Time had kinda merged. Beca had no idea how long she’d been lying between Chloe’s legs, lapping away happily at Chloe’s wet pussy, but she knew it had been long enough to get the girl before her worked up sexually._

_Chloe’s hips were now bucking and rolling beneath Beca’s face, and the brunette continued to smile, sucking at Chloe’s clitoris while the finger she’d experimented with earlier now played a vital role in building Chloe’s impending orgasm - slipping within Chloe’s wet pussy, curling around in the juices, then slipping out. Over and over again._

_Then suddenly Beca felt Chloe’s fingers tighten in her hair, and her breathing stopped. Her body stiffened. And that’s when Beca knew: Chloe was about to cum. She pulled her finger from Chloe’s pussy, awaiting the pulsation against her tongue eagerly._

_A loud moan of sexual relief finally fell from Chloe’s mouth with the huge exhale of breath that she’d been holding and Beca was surprised when a huge squirt of cum shot from Chloe’s pussy, covering her chin and some of her chest._

_“That was amazing.” Chloe sighed with a goofy grin on her face and Beca quickly wiped her chin with the back of her hand, smiling broadly. She raised her body from between Chloe’s legs and slid her way up to the redhead, immediately capturing her lips with her own. That had been SO hot._

Beca’s eyes slowly drifted open again and her heart skipped a beat at the sight of the beautiful naked woman tucked up beside her. Chloe effin Beale. The girl who had flipped Beca’s entire world upside down last night and had blown her away. Beca had never cum at the hands (or mouth) of another person before..until last night. Until Chloe.

_Beca arched her back, her exposed nipples standing to attention as her eyes flung open. She let out a huge gasp, her hands down the length of her body, her fingers entwined in Chloe’s long red hair._

_Beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads, the heat in the bedroom increasing with each passing minute. Chloe’s tongue swiped around and around Beca’s clit while she remained nestled between Beca’s legs. Beca was on cloud nine._

_The few times she’d allowed Jesse to go down on her, back in the day, Beca’s legs would always shake uncontrollably she’d be so nervous. There had always been something so uncomfortable having his head down there, and she’d always struggled to work out why that was. But thanks to Chloe, Beca didn’t wonder any more. Now she knew._

_It was because Jesse had no idea how to pleasure a woman. Not really. He’d never asked Beca if what he’d been doing had been okay. If his technique was working. He used to use his fingers a lot inside while dipping his tongue down at intervals. But Beca never climaxed and in the end Jesse would just get a little impatient and Beca would get bored and they’d quickly abort ‘mission go down on Beca’ to just get on with the sex._

_For the first time ever, Beca could feel her orgasm building and she glanced down the length of her naked body. Her racing heart skipped a beat at the sight of Chloe’s red hair bobbing between her legs, her beautiful long fingers skimming up and down the insides of Beca’s spread thighs. Beca still couldn’t believe she was here, in Chloe’s bedroom, partaking in ORAL SEX with Chloe herself._

_She watched as Chloe moved her head to the side slightly so she could push her red hair back off her face with a happy sigh, licking her lips. Those bright blue eyes snapped up at Beca behind hooded eyelids and the brunette bit her bottom lip as Chloe smiled seductively at her. Then she took a sharp intake of breath as the woman quickly dove back down to resume pleasuring her._

_As Chloe dipped her tongue into her pussy while she quickly stimulated Beca’s clit with her index finger, Beca’s stomach began to scramble in desire. The throbbing between her legs was increasing tenfold and the brunette snapped her eyes shut, throwing her head back again while an involuntary moan fell from her mouth. God she was close._

_Chloe must’ve sensed it, as she set to speeding her efforts up, her tongue darting that little quicker inside, lapping up the juices while her index finger ran quickly from left to right and back again over and over. Beca could feel her orgasm begin to peak and suddenly her body stiffened, her hands flying down to Chloe’s head while her hips bucked._

_An overwhelming rush of sexual pleasure rocketed through Beca’s body and a loud moan fell from her mouth as she experienced her first orgasm at the hands of someone else. At the hands (and mouth) of Chloe Beale._

“Mmm…” Beca hummed at Chloe’s touch while the woman’s fingertips still smoothed through her hair affectionately, “I love you.” Beca mumbled in a small voice, watching as Chloe tugged her bottom lip between her teeth with a shy smile. It hadn’t been the first time those words had left her mouth since joining Chloe in her bedroom in the night. And Beca was certain it wouldn’t be the last. Because Beca had never felt this way about someone before, and she felt certain she’d never feel this way about anyone else again.

_Beca laid back on the bed, rolling her hips a little harder as Chloe rolled her own, their mounds rubbing against one another as their respective orgasms built. This had been a position she’d heard about. Had heard that ‘lesbians’ did together. But strategically Beca had never understood it. Until now._

_She had a bit of cramp in her left arm while she kept her upper body propped up slightly, but her entire focus was on her increasing orgasm. Her second of the night all being well._

_Their breathing was heavy and laboured, both Beca and Chloe giving it their all as their hands slid up and down each other’s legs while they ground into one another. ‘Scissoring’. A quick google had helped set them up. And now they were in the thick of it Beca was very grateful indeed that Chloe was willing to work this whole ‘sex with a woman’ thing out with her._

_Eventually they both came. Hard. Their rocking bodies slowing as their swollen sensitive clitoris’s rubbed together. Then Beca laid back with a final sigh of sexual relief, grinning as she stared up at Chloe’s bedroom ceiling._

_She couldn’t believe that had worked. She couldn’t believe she had orgasmed twice in one night. And she couldn’t believe that one of those times she’d orgasmed at the same time as Chloe._

_Beca watched as her best friend, rather breathless, moved around so that she fell into Beca’s arms with a huge exhausted sigh._

_“That…” Chloe managed to force out, pausing to take a couple of deep breaths, “…was…”_

_“Incredible?” Beca offered with a grin, only mustering enough breath to suggest one word, and she chuckled as Chloe giggled, the redhead tucking her face into the nook of Beca’s neck while mumbling a “Yes.” in agreement._

_Beca loved this. She loved the feel of Chloe in her arms. She loved how good Chloe made her feel both emotionally, physically, and sexually. Beca loved Chloe._

_“I love you.” Beca breathed out, taking a couple more deep breaths while Chloe propped her head up on her elbow to look down at Beca affectionately, “And I don’t…mean a…’just after sex’ kind of love you…” Beca took another couple of deep breaths to steady her breathing before turning to look at Chloe affectionately, “…I mean the whole crazy in love with you kind of love…like…I’ll marry you and have kids with you one day kind of love…”_

Beca watched as Chloe leant her face towards her and placed a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose. The early morning sunlight brought with it a light warm Atlanta summer breeze, and the sounds of the birds singing through the open window.

“I love you too.” Chloe mumbled affectionately, before drawing her lips down to Beca’s mouth. And the two women shuffled a little further beneath the bedcovers to allow Chloe to roll her naked body on top of Beca’s naked body.

Beca couldn’t feel any more in love than she did right now. Right now life felt perfect. Right now, if she could wake up beside Chloe for the rest of her life, she would. Because she was so in love with her…


	13. Suspicious

Fat Amy laid in her bed, on her right side, staring at the empty bed across the room from her.  _Beca’s_  bed. The woman hadn’t been up here all night. Had she stayed over in Chloe’s bedroom??

She turned onto her back with a sigh, brought her phone up, opening WhatsApp, and began typing:

## ‘Project Bloe’ WhatsApp

 **Fat Amy:** Beca didn’t come up to bed last night ;)

 **Ashley** : That’s because she was busy screwing Chloe.. *crying laughing emoji*

 **Fat Amy:** *crying laughing emoji*

Fat Amy chuckled. She loved it when they all talked like this. They’d been joking that Beca and Chloe had been sneaking around for a good couple of years now. And it was fun.

 **Jessica** : She’s not joking Amy! 

 **Stacie** : Yeah I heard them too!

Fat Amy sat up suddenly. Beca and Chloe  _had_  been sleeping together? Like… _properly_??

Her heart began racing with excitement, trying to text back quickly before one of the other seven girls got there first. But just as she was about to send her question, Stacie added an extra nugget:

 **Stacie** : I never put Beca down to be a loud moaner but my God was she loud last night.. *crying laughing emoji*

 **Cynthia Rose** : Ah yeah Chloe!! 

 **Stacie:** She clearly needed it after Jesse..

 **Cynthia Rose:**  I cant imagine Beca’s going to be caring much about him any more ;)

Fat Amy decided to delete what she’d already written, not needing to know what Stacie heard any more. Her eyes flickered up to the top of the screen to see that Legacy was typing.

 **Legacy** : I’m in the kitchen having breakfast and Chloe’s literally just gone out for a run…

 **Legacy** : I felt so embarrassed!

 **Legacy** : I’d just been reading your texts about what she’d been up to with Beca!!

 **Stacie** : Haha!

 **Stacie** : Oh God! What did you do??

 **Legacy** : I struggled to not choke on my cereal that’s what!!!!!

Fat Amy grinned, then suddenly she snapped her eyes up from her phone when she heard the familiar creak of the attic door opening. She held her breath as she heard a pair of bare footsteps trying to creep upstairs.

Amy decided to pretend she was asleep, so immediately dropped her phone onto her stomach and closed her eyes enough to make it look like she was sleeping, but not so much that she couldn’t see the familiar petite figure of Beca creeping over to her bed. She was wearing pyjamas, and had her hair up in a messy bun.

The Australian grinned to herself as she watched her best friend slip into her bed across the room from Amy’s and keep her back turned to the blonde, letting out a tired sigh and presumably falling back to sleep. Amy quickly picked her phone up.

 **Fat Amy:**  Beca’s just snuck back up to our bedroom!!

 **Jessica** : Ooh what did she say??

 **Lilly** : Nothing.

 **Fat Amy** : Nothing *crying laughing emoji*

 **Fat Amy:**  I was pretending to sleep!

 **Stacie** : Ooooooo sneaky ;P

 **Legacy** : So when Chloe comes back, do you still not want me to say anything to her?

 **Legacy** : I really need to talk to someone!!!

 **Legacy** : I’m here all alone and starting to freak out!!

Fat Amy rolled her eyes. That kid could be so needy sometimes. Yes, The Bellas liked having a ‘little sister’ in the group, but sometimes she was a bit of a nusance. At least..that’s what Amy thought any way.

 **Stacie** : Hold on Legacy. I’m on my way down.

 **Legacy** : ♥♥♥

 **Ashley** : Yeah me and Jess are on our way too.

 **Jessica** : Beca and Chloe’s moans are still ringing in my ears *puke emoji*

 **Ashley** : The curse of having the bedroom next door to Chloe’s…

 **Jessica** : What WERE you thinking when you chose it??

 **Ashley** : Definitely not that!!

 **Cynthia Rose:**  I’m on my way down too.

 **Flo** : And me!

 **Flo** : I’m starving!

Fat Amy heard her stomach rumble and for once she had to agree with Flo. It was seven thirty in the morning. Definitely worth going down for some breakfast. The sooner she had breakfast, the sooner she could have a mid-morning snack.

 **Fat Amy** : I’ll meet you guys down there too *thumbs up emoji*

Fat Amy let out a tired sigh and eased herself out of her bed. Just after rubbing her eyes and having a stretch, the blonde’s eyes were drawn to the pile of clothes that Beca had been wearing last night, along with her boots. Fat Amy grinned. Beca must’ve been in a hurry to get into her pyjamas when she got back here last night. In a hurry to get back down to Chloe more like..

The Australian gently stood up and made her way to the stair case, taking one last glance at her roommate. Beca was laying still in her bed and Amy grinned. Teasing her was going to be a  _lot_  of fun…


	14. Breakfast

Chloe had a smile on her face while she jogged down the path alongside the lake near her house. She loved going for a morning run. Particularly in the summer. There was just this way the early morning sunlight glistened on the surface of the water. It was like…magic.

She was almost at the end of her run. Then she’d probably make a smoothie or some pancakes for breakfast. Make enough for Beca too…

She closed her eyes for a couple of moments, remembering the last few things she said to Beca before she left. Remembering the look on Beca’s beautiful face. Chloe still couldn’t believe they’d had so much sex last night. Just like she couldn’t believe they’d even been on a date. Just like she couldn’t believe Beca was interested in her romantically!

_“You look really hot in those running pants, Beale.”_

_Chloe smirked while she bent over to pick her sports bra out of her draw. Compliments like that were ones she’d never heard come from Beca’s mouth before. But she could definitely get used to it._

_“And you look hot all naked in my bed right now.” she counteracted with a tempted expression. If she wasn’t so hell-bent on sticking to her morning routine of going for a run, she would’ve happily have spent the whole morning naked in Beca’s arms. Chloe tugged her sports bra on over her head and adjusted her boobs within it accordingly._

_“You’re sure you don’t mind me going out for a run?” Chloe asked tentatively. She didn’t want to upset Beca by leaving her the morning after the night before. She didn’t want to make it seem like it’d been a one-night stand._

_But she watched with a smile as Beca sat up on her knees, Chloe’s bedsheets falling from her naked body, and Beca turned to face her, her eyebrows risen seriously, “Definitely not. You’ve gotta still be able to do whatever you want to do, babe. Independently from me.”_

_Beca had pulled Chloe to stand before her and had slipped her arms around her waist. Chloe had smoothed her arms around Beca’s petite body and they looked at one another with big smiles on their faces. This was different. But…good-different. Waking up together. Calling each other ‘babe’. Establishing stuff like their own independence while still being in a relationship together._

_This was what a happy relationship was supposed to feel like. Chloe was sure of it. And she let out a happy sigh as she leant her face down towards her…girlfriend(?) and kissed her long and soft on the lips._

Chloe collided with a tall solid figure, and she let out a light squeak. She’d probably kept her eyes closed a little  _too_  long. The tall solid figure let out a yelp of their own, and Chloe fell to the ground, such was the force that she’d hit them.

She let out a small wince, then suddenly she heard a familiar voice say her name.

“Chloe??”

Chloe’s stomach dropped and she looked up to see  _Jesse_ , donning sports gear of his own, clearly going for a run himself. She couldn’t remember him ever running..

“Jesse!” She gasped, reluctantly taking the hand he offered out to her to help her up onto her feet. God this was awkward. What was  _Jesse_ doing here?? He’d graduated. He’d gone. He’d…broken up with Beca a few weeks ago. And now he was stood before the woman who had just spent the night with his ex-girlfriend.

“What are you doing here?” Chloe heard Jesse ask and she furrowed her brow in confusion.

“I…live here? Like this is my route. This is the route I run every morning.” she explained. What was he  _doing_  here??

“Oh. Right. Yeah…” Jesse replied and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. Chloe thought she could see a slight glint of something in his eyes, but she wasn’t sure what.

“What are  _you_  doing here?” Chloe eventually blurted, her heart racing with nerves. She had no idea how Beca would react if she found out Jesse was here.  _Here_. At Barden.

“Oh uh…” Jesse looked away from Chloe for a moment, glancing in the direction of The Bellas and The Treblemakers houses, “…Benji and the guys invited me back for the Grad Ball.”

Chloe stomach dropped. Oh God. He’d been there last night? Had he seen her and Beca together? And if he had, then where??

“We spent most of our night at the silent disco.” Jesse finished, turning back to Chloe, and the redhead felt the colour drain from her face. That look he was giving her right now was the look of a man who knew. He  _knew_  that she and Beca had been at the Grad Ball together last night. And if he’d seen them at the silent disco, like he seemed to be insinuating, then he would’ve definitely have seen them making out. That was pretty much all they’d ended up doing at that abandoned pool.

“Yeah I saw you and Beca.” Jesse finally answered after several long pauses, and Chloe swallowed loudly. Shit. “You guys looked well acquainted with each other’s tongues…” he added in a bitter tone and Chloe’s stomach churned. Oh God. This poor poor guy.

“Listen, Jesse, we-“ Chloe began but she was quickly cut off by the man before her.

“-Just tell me one thing, Chloe.”

Chloe held her breath. God what the hell was he wanting to know?? If they’d ended up having sex? If they were a thing now? If she’d left Beca naked in her bed when she’d left the house for her run? Because she’d honestly have to answer yes to all of those.

“Were you guys sneaking around behind my back when me and Beca were still together?”

Chloe’s heart jumped into her throat, her hands immediately flying towards the man and grabbing his arm to assure him, “Oh God, no! No Jesse. Definitely not. Last night was our first date.”

Jesse appeared to hesitate and Chloe wasn’t sure why she cared so much that he believe her. It was the honest truth. But really, it didn’t matter if Jesse believed her or not. He and Beca weren’t together any more.

“She asked me out like, a week ago, to the Ball and I said yes.”

“And you guys got drunk, and thought it’d be funny to go to a dark event like the silent disco so you could make out…” Jesse said in an assuming voice but Chloe’s brow furrowed slightly.

“We weren’t drunk. We didn’t have  _anything_  to drink actually.”

Jesse’s eyebrows rose in surprise, “Oh.” he said, shuffling awkwardly on the spot, “I just figured the silent disco would be the last place Beca would want to go. Thought it’d take a lot of alcohol to get her in there.”

Chloe had let go of Jesse’s arm, feeling somewhat sorry for the man. He really didn’t know Beca at all. The redhead shrugged.

“Well she…did enjoy it. A lot.”

“Yeah, I noticed.” Jesse said in a grim tone before letting out a heavy sigh. “Well, I’d better go. The Trebles are all going out for breakfast.”

“Yeah I’d better get back to…” she paused, her cheeks flushing red. She was about to say ‘Beca’ but she’d stopped herself. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t looking forward to curling back up with the woman - though Beca  _had_  told her she was going to sneak back up to her own bedroom to try to detract from any suspicions that The Bellas might have.

“Beca?” Jesse asked, and Chloe swallowed loudly. Yeah. Beca.

To Chloe’s surprise a small smile grew on Jesse’s face, “I think we both know Beca always preferred you. I’m not even that surprised any more that you guys have ended up together.”

Chloe bit her bottom lip awkwardly. Gosh this was difficult. He was making her feel like she’d broken Jesse and Beca apart. Perhaps she had in a way? After all, Beca had taken to looking at Chloe while she’d made out with Jesse towards the end of their relationship. To the point that Chloe had wondered if Beca imagined that she was kissing Chloe instead of Jesse.

And it turned out, Chloe’s suspicions had been right.

_“This is gonna sound really weird but…” Beca began, laid peacefully in Chloe’s arms. The redhead peered through the moonlight, slowly stroking her best friend’s hair back from her face while Beca twirled the edge of the light bedsheet around in her fingers. They’d been naked together for a good couple of hours now and had taken an unspoken rest between sexual activities, choosing to lay curled up together instead._

_“…remember those days, at parties, and I used to make out with Jesse because I was drunk-“_

_“-and he was your boyfriend.” Chloe added calmly, a soft smile on her face._

_“And he was my boyfriend. Yeah.”_

_Chloe could tell from Beca’s tone that she felt a bit awkward talking about Jesse while they were laying naked together in Chloe’s bed. But Chloe didn’t mind. Jesse was a part of Beca’s history. Nothing was ever going to change that. There was no use in trying to ignore that Beca and Jesse had been in a relationship together, because they had been. For near on three years. That wasn’t exactly a forgettable fact._

_“Do you remember the times you caught me looking at you while I was kissing him?”_

_Chloe swallowed, her smile wavering. She hadn’t thought Beca remembered her looking at Beca and Jesse while they made out. But she had done. Watching Beca longingly. Desperately wishing she were Jesse instead._

_“Yeah?” She answered honestly and she felt and heard Beca exhale loudly._

_“Well…I was actually imagining that it was you kissing me instead.” Chloe felt Beca reaching up from the edge of the bedcovers, cupping Chloe’s cheek gently, “And I know that’s a weird thing to say and do but…I’ve been crazy about you for a long time. So crazy that I would imagine the stuff I was doing with my boyfriend I was actually doing with you instead.”_

_While a lot of people would have been freaked out by this reveal, Chloe was actually rather flattered. She moved her face slightly in Beca’s hand, placing a soft kiss on her thenar._

_“I imagined doing all that stuff with you too.” Chloe admitted, and she saw in the moonlight as relieved smile spread across Beca’s face. She was telling the truth. She’d daydreamed about being with Beca long before now. Long before actually finally getting the chance to be with her. And it was everything she’d dreamt it’d be and more._

“Promise me you’ll look after her, Chloe.” Jesse asked seriously and Chloe nodded.

“Of course I will. I love her too much to let anything bad happen to her.”

It had been a total slip of the tongue. An  _honest_  slip of the tongue. Chloe had been in love with Beca long before now. But she’d never intended on ever telling Jesse. She’d never expected to see him again.

Sure enough, the man’s eyebrows rose, “Oh. You’re…in love with her. Already.” and Chloe swallowed loudly as he chuckled, “What did you guys sleep together last night or something?” but his chuckle subsided when Chloe didn’t laugh with him.

“Oh my God…” he whispered, his expression turning into one of shock. Chloe had had enough of this conversation. She felt bad enough as it was that Jesse was here having to find all this stuff out. He should’ve just stayed in LA. It would’ve been easier on him.

“Jesse, I-I really  _do_  have to go.” Chloe managed to force out, before continuing down the path away from him. She felt sick. A sickness that only increased when Jesse called after her.

“Have a good day in bed with Beca.”

Chloe stopped in her tracks for a moment. She wasn’t sure if she should retaliate or not. But she was Chloe Beale. Chloe who didn’t really argue with anyone. In fact the only person she found comfortable  _bickering_  with was Beca. And even then, they were quick to forget about why they were bickering.

So Chloe didn’t turn around. She didn’t say anything more. Because technically she was the winner here. She was going home to Beca. Not him.

And the redhead continued down the path towards the house, ready to make some breakfast and have a shower..


	15. Knowledge

Chloe stepped in through the back door of The Bellas House, letting out a heavy sigh while she swept her palm up her forehead, pushing back the sweat that had rested on her skin from the run. She still felt somewhat unnerved by Jesse’s final words. Why had it mattered to him what she did with her day? And why did it matter him if she  _had_ slept with Beca last night? It wasn’t any of his business.

The redhead moved through to the kitchen, noticing most of The Bellas - except Beca - sat around the kitchen table with their respective breakfasts, Emily still with her empty bowl in front of her, just as it had been when Chloe had said ‘Good Morning’ to her while going out for her run.

“Hey ladies.” She said in a cheerful voice, reaching into the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water to drink from. She leant back against the kitchen work surface, feeling a little energised from her run even if she had been a little stunned by Jesse’s appearance at the end.

“Maybe Chloe knows?” Stacie suggested and the redhead looked at her friend’s curiously.

“Maybe I know what?” Chloe asked, wondering what she’d missed. She hated being left out of things. Just like she hated that they must’ve been chatting about something without her.

Chloe took a swig of her cool water, but choked slightly when Fat Amy replied:

“Where Beca was last night.”

Chloe spluttered slightly, turning to lean over the kitchen sink for fear of accidentally spitting droplets of water from her mouth. But she was safe. Her heart began racing. Shit. She hadn’t even considered that The Bellas would wonder about Beca’s whereabouts last night.

Meanwhile, the women sat at the table glanced at one another with massive grins. They’d been like coiled springs waiting for Chloe to return from her run - or Beca to come downstairs for breakfast, whoever was first - so they could begin the subtle teasing of their co-captains.

“I mean, I lost her between home and getting over to campus. She kinda disappeared.” Fat Amy said as innocently as possible, though her grin was broad and teasing. She and the rest of The Bellas suddenly straightened their expressions, watching as Chloe turned back around again.

“What makes you think she was with me?” Chloe asked quickly, panicking slightly that this blissful early stage in the relationship she had started embarking on with Beca was quickly going to become unbearably public.

“We…never suggested she was with you.” Cynthia Rose said with a furrowed brow. Chloe’s stomach flipped.  _Shit_.

“Well I spent most of the night at the silent disco over at the athletic facility so…” Chloe blurted nervously, shrugging while moving back over to the fridge. She threw the water back inside then hastily closed the door again. God she had to get out of here. She had to warn Beca that their friends were snooping.

The Bellas all looked to one another.  _The Silent Disco! That’s_  where Beca and Chloe had disappeared to after the Ferris wheel. They had lost their co-captains, and had split up to try to find them around the carnival, eventually giving up and heading to the ‘bar section’ of the carnival instead to celebrate their graduation at the make-shift Hawaiian bar.

Their ears pricked up when they heard footsteps slowly making their way down the staircase. A quick head-count let them know that it’d be the brunette in question and, sure enough, Beca shuffled into the lounge and through to the kitchen looking  _very_  tired.

“Oh  _here_  she is!” Stacie declared with a huge grin, and Beca stopped in the doorway nervously. Shit. What had she missed?

She glanced briefly at Chloe who was stood by the fridge looking at her somewhat concerned and that’s when Beca’s stomach fell. Did The Bellas know what she and Chloe had got up to last night?

“And where were  _you_  last night?” Ashley asked with a broad grin, pointing at Beca, and the petite brunette swallowed loudly as she looked at each Bella nervously.

“Uh…” God her heard was racing, and not for a good reason.

“Because when I went to bed you weren’t in  _your_  bed. But your clothes were…” Fat Amy added, and Beca felt the colour drain from her face.

“You dirty stop-out..” Cynthia Rose teased with a huge grin, and it took all of Beca’s self control not to turn to Chloe for back-up. Turning to look at Chloe might spark suspicions, and both Beca and Chloe had agreed it might be quite fun to try to keep this thing between them a secret for a little while. If possible.

The Bellas were revelling in the knowledge they currently had, enjoying watching Beca and Chloe squirm slightly. Beca held her hands up defensively, “Look, I went downstairs to get a drink and fell asleep on the couch.”

But Emily just scrunched her nose up while The Bellas looked unconvinced, “But I slept on the couch overnight.” the youngest Bella said in a confused tone and Beca winced slightly. This was not going well. She turned and headed for the fridge, daring to take a peek at Chloe whose cheeks had flushed pink already while she looked back at her.

“Anyway, never mind where I was last night. Where were  _you_  guys?? I lost you on the way to campus!” Beca counteracted, pointing at her friends around the kitchen table. They all seemed to raise their eyebrows and Beca smirked internally. Ha! Take  _that_  for a come back!

“We were at the carnival just like you.” Flo answered, the women sat around her nodded in agreement. Beca could feel her chest begin to tighten. There had been a lot of people at the carnival last night, but not enough to imagine that they would’ve  _not_  bumped into each other. She was slowly running out of excuses.

“Yeah well…” Beca began, pulling out the half bottle of water from the fridge that Chloe had only just returned, “I-I was at the silent disco most of the night so…” She shrugged, closing the fridge door, but hesitated when her friend’s stared at her with their mouths wide open, a couple grinning in delight.

“What??” Beca asked innocently, then her heart dropped when she watched The Bellas round the kitchen table look from her to Chloe. Beca followed their line of sight and saw that the redhead had gone pink, looking  _entirely_  awkward and embarrassed.

“Funny that…” Stacie began, “…because Chloe just told us that she spent most of the night at the silent disco too.”

Beca swallowed loudly.  _Shit_. Chloe turned to look at her, her breathing noticeably speeding up. But before either of them could try to explain, they heard a quiet voice say:

“ _Jesse was at the silent disco too_.”

Beca, Chloe, and The Bellas all turned to look at Lilly, who sat at the far end of the table - on its surface - blinking over innocently at her two co-captains.

“J-Jesse’s here??” Beca stuttered, a wave of horror rushing over her body, and Lilly simply nodded. The Bellas all looked from Lilly, to each other, then over to Beca and Chloe.

Beca and Chloe felt their stomachs drop: Beca’s for fear that her ex-boyfriend had spotted her making out with Chloe last night, and Chloe’s for fear that she would soon have to tell Beca that she’d literally bumped into Jesse mere minutes ago…


	16. Business

_“I ran into Jesse.” Chloe blurted and Beca paused what she was doing to look over her shoulder at the redhead. The redhead who was sat perched on the edge of Fat Amy’s bed, her hair wrapped up in a towel post-shower._

_“As in…last night?” Beca asked cautiously. God if it had been last night then what the hell would Jesse have said to Chloe? But then, if it HAD been last night then where had she been at the time? She couldn’t recall a time when she and Chloe had been apart._

_“As in literally running into him this morning. On my run.” Chloe replied. Beca furrowed her brow as she continued to tidy her satchel ready for work when she returned from Worlds next week._

_“He was running?”_

_“Yeah.” Chloe confirmed. Beca’s brow remained furrowed. She couldn’t remember Jesse ever running before._

_“Are you okay?” She asked Chloe cautiously, beginning to worry about how that confrontation might have gone if Jesse HAD seen them together at that silent disco last night._

_“Yeah. I fell over but nothing bruised.” Chloe said with a shrug but Beca turned to her with a small smile._

_“I meant after talking to Jesse..”_

_“Oh.” Chloe’s cheeks flushed a little in embarrassment. She was so stupid sometimes. She hated when she was like this, especially in front of Beca, “Yeah he…he definitely saw us kissing last night.”_

_Beca felt her stomach churn with dread and she looked back over at Chloe in concern, “Shit. Seriously?” And she watched as Chloe nodded slowly with a grim expression on her face._

_“Was he alright with you or…?” Beca tried to coax out how her ex-boyfriend and current girlfriend(?)’s conversation might have gone down. There was something in the way Chloe’s expression flickered that made Beca wonder if Jesse HADN’T been alright with her. Which was ludicrous really. Because he had nothing to do with them any more. Nothing to do with Barden really, either._

_“He was okay for the most part.” Chloe replied in a quiet tone, shrugging again. But it was enough for Beca to down-tools and give the woman her entire attention._

_“Meaninggggg…?”_

_“Well he admitted that you probably always had preferred me to him.”_

_Beca’s shoulders relaxed a little. That was actually a pretty nice thing for Jesse to say._

_“But then he didn’t look too impressed when I didn’t exactly deny that we’d slept together last night.” Chloe added, wincing slightly when she looked up at Beca. Beca’s mouth had dropped open. How long had Chloe and Jesse spoken for the two of them to get onto the topic of Chloe sleeping with Beca?!_

_“And how did THAT even come about?” Beca asked in confusion. She couldn’t remember ever really talking to Jesse much about sex when they were in a relationship so she couldn’t imagine how it had become a hot topic in Jesse and Chloe’s conversation._

_Beca watched with dread as Chloe looked at her awkwardly. Oh God. Chloe hadn’t been BRAGGING had she?? Bragging to Beca’s ex-boyfriend that she had slept with Beca last night not him?_

_“I may have accidentally told him I was in love with you?” Chloe said with a slight wince, and Beca immediately softened. Chloe had told him? They hadn’t even told their best friends they were dating yet, but Chloe had told Beca’s ex-boyfriend that she was in love with her? That was pretty sweet. “And he said something like it was a bit quick to be in love already, unless we’d slept together or something. And…I just didn’t deny it.”_

By mid-morning The Bellas were all sat around a large table at the milkshake café in Atlanta, chatting and giggling away. Only six days left before they all went their separate ways, and they wanted to make the most of the time together. Beca and Chloe were sat opposite one another but not so much through choice as rather: The Bellas all sat before they could, so the two co-captains were given no choice.

They both sat forward, their legs laced with each other’s under the privacy of the table. But they didn’t look at each other much. They’d made a small pact before Chloe had gone out for her run this morning that they would act as many would in the early stages of secret dating: fleeting looks, plenty of texting, but saving the hand holding and kissing (and anything more) for dates (or the night of the date). Which was one of the reasons why they’d also quickly agreed that they’d go on their second date tomorrow. Sunday. Not long after they landed in Copenhagen.

_“Okay, so no kissing, no hand holding, no sitting together, and no walking together.” Beca checked from her position at the top of the attic stairs. She and Chloe seemed to be getting good at making ground rules._

_“Not until our second date.” Chloe confirmed with a nod, slowly approaching the top of the stairs too. She’d already gone down to her bedroom to dry her hair, then had returned to Beca to run through her thoughts on her little idea. An idea that should make them even more excited to go on their second date. “Which is only tomorrow, and technically less time to have to wait, because of the time difference with Copenhagen!”_

_Chloe watched in delight as Beca’s smile grew. Clearly she hadn’t thought of that. The two women turned their attentions to the door at the foot of the attic stairs. A voice bellowed up from the lobby on the ground floor of the house._

_“Come on you guys! The milkshake’s calling me!!”_

_Beca and Chloe looked to one another and grinned. Amy was often impatient, but even more so when they were all going out to a restaurant or café together. It was one of the few times the Australian was ready first._

_“Come on.” Chloe said with a chuckle, taking the first step down the stairs. But she was tugged back up by the hand, Beca mumbling a quiet, “Hang on.”_

_Chloe resumed her position by Beca’s side only for Beca to smooth her arms around her waist with a soft smile, “Just one more kiss before we have to endure HOURS until our date.”_

_And Chloe let out a light chuckle while she brought her arms up around Beca’s shoulders, enjoying the feel of the brunette’s soft lips on hers. In that moment she wasn’t overly sure why she’d thought it was a good idea for them to agree not to do this. It felt so good. It felt so right. And it was going to be a LONG twenty four hours before they could do it again.._

Suddenly there was a clatter as The Bellas all dropped things or cleared their throats nervously. Beca looked at them, curious to know what was going on. But she followed their lines of sight and her heart jumped into her throat.

Her eyes looked up to see the tall figure of Jesse, stood awkwardly at the top of the table beside her, looking at them with a nervous smile.

“Uh..hey Bellas.” He said slowly, and The Bellas all hesitated before saying an awkward “Hi” back. Then his eyes drew down to Beca, clearing his voice nervously.

“Hey Beca.”

“Hey Jesse.” She replied, not overly sure how else to respond. What was he  _doing_  here?? She noticed Chloe looking at her out of the corner of her eye but she didn’t look back. Jesse may know about the two of them, but the rest of The Bellas didn’t. And they hadn’t questioned her and Chloe since breakfast this morning.

“Can I…do you mind if I have a quick word with you? Just over here?” Jesse asked, motioning to a quiet spot a little way away from where Beca and her friends were sat. This was the moment Beca took to look over at Chloe. She’d be able to judge from the redhead’s expression if Chloe would be okay with it. And the woman just gave her one small curt nod, still wearing a stunned expression. So Beca shrugged as she looked back at her ex-boyfriend.

“Uh, yeah.”

As Beca made her way over to the spot Jesse had suggested they talk, she felt a little numb. Like she was walking in slow motion. She wasn’t angry with him for being here. After all, they’d ended things on good terms. But she was confused as to why he felt the need to pull her away from her friends. He wasn’t her boyfriend anymore.

“I uh…” Jesse began, coming to a stop and shuffling slightly on the spot, as though nervous about what he was about to say, “I saw you and Chloe at the silent disco last night.  _Together_.” he emphasised the last word, raising his eyebrows, but Beca knew what he knew.

“Yeah Chloe told me you guys ran into each other this morning. Literally.” Beca said with a nod. It was weird hearing his voice again. It was weird talking about Chloe to him. She realised she’d stopped mentioning Chloe towards the end of their relationship. It had felt as though she was cheating on him if she did. “She told me you’d seen us last night. And that you assumed we’d…you know.”

‘Had sex’ were the words she was after. But Jesse and Beca had never really talked about sex. They’d just done it.

“Yeah, well…she didn’t say much, but it was enough for me to get the general idea.” Jesse said in an grim tone and Beca felt a little sorry for him. This couldn’t be easy to come to terms with. That the woman he’d still been in a relationship with only six weeks ago had already moved on, and with another woman no less. Her best friend in fact. Beca sighed.

“Why did you come over here, Jess?” she asked in a soft tone, shaking her head gently. The young man looked over at The Bellas. The women were all looking back at him and Beca, except for Chloe who was looking down at her milkshake. Beca watched as her ex-boyfriend turned back to her, a small smile growing on his face.

“I was having breakfast with The Trebles and wanted to wish you luck.”

Beca’s eyebrows rose. She definitely hadn’t been expecting that. She looked over to see that The Trebles were all sat on a table at the opposite end of the restaurant.

“And I know it’s none of my business but…you and Chloe looked really happy together last night. Really comfortable. So I also wanted to say that I’m happy for you.”

Beca couldn’t help the small smile growing on her own face. Jesse Swanson you smoothie. He always had been a nice guy. It just so happened he and Beca hadn’t been right for each other.

“We  _are_  really happy together. Thanks.” Beca agreed with a small nod, turning to look over at Chloe who was busy slowly swirling her straw around her milkshake glass, clearly deep in thought. She hoped her being over here with Jesse wasn’t making Chloe feel unhappy. Nothing was going on. Jesse was actually just being really kind.

“And…lastly…” Beca turned to look back at the man she thought she’d once loved. Jesse looked a little embarrassed, “…I think I was a bit of a dick to Chloe earlier. I wanted to ask if I could apologise to her?”

Beca wasn’t sure what he’d said to Chloe this morning. But whatever he’d said, clearly Chloe hadn’t thought anything of it, and clearly Jesse thought it was of enough importance to warrant a verbal apology to the woman who was now dating his ex-girlfriend.

“Uh…yeah.” Beca said with a shrug, motioning to the table she’d just been sat at. They both made their way back to The Bellas, Beca taking her seat again while Jesse hovered awkwardly at the top of the table again.

Beca looked over at Chloe, managing to give her a small wink of encouragement the second the redhead looked up at her. And Chloe seemed to immediately relax, their legs weaving under the table again as Jesse began to make his apology…


	17. Aubrey

Beca strode down the little street in Copenhagen, peering at the fronts of the restaurants she passed, looking out for the one Chloe had booked for them. She paused, looking down at the handmade map that had been slid under her hotel door earlier that day.

_Beca looked up from her phone, her brow furrowing as she saw a small envelope scoot across the wooden flooring. She slipped off her hotel bed and over to the little thing, a curious smile on her face as she bent down to pick it up. She saw the words ‘Ms B. Mitchell’ handwritten on the front, and immediately recognised the handwriting._

_Chloe. This was from Chloe. She and the rest of The Bellas had arrived in Copenhagen mere minutes ago, all agreeing that they would go to their respective rooms then meet down in the lobby to go and explore Copenhagen together. In that time the redhead seemed to have found time to write something for her secret girlfriend._

_Beca returned to her bed, her heart racing a little in anticipation while she tore the envelope open. And sure enough, she pulled out a handwritten note and a handmade map. The note was written in Chloe’s handwriting:_

Beca,

For our second date, I thought we could explore,

Somewhere we’ve never ever been before.

So follow this map, and you will see,

The loveliest little restaurant I’ve booked for us to be.

At 7pm, wearing something too good to be true,

I’ll be at ‘FedteGreven’, waiting for you.

Love Chloe xxx

_Beca grinned, tugging her bottom lip briefly between her teeth as she looked over Chloe’s words again, particularly the ‘Love Chloe’ part. They’d been trying so hard to not see too much of each other the past twenty four hours or so, just so the anticipation for finally being out on another date with each other would be all the more exciting and exhillerating. Beca couldn’t wait._

Beca looked up and her heart jumped into her throat. There, stood outside a small restaurant was Chloe, her body wrapped in a beautiful beige rain-mac. Her hair straightened and flowing down over her shoulders. Her lips stained a deep red that seemed to match the deep red dress that was poking from beneath her coat.

The brunette made her way quickly towards her, loving the way Chloe’s face lit up the second she saw her. The older woman looked down at her feet for a moment with a coy smile on her face, clearly trying to hide her excitement. Beca loved how excited Chloe would get about things, and especially loved how excited Chloe would get about her.

“Hey.” Beca said softly, trying to play it cool as she stopped before the redhead and Chloe looked up at her, immediately glancing down at Beca’s lips before looking back up into the woman’s eyes.

“Hey.” She replied.

“You look really beautiful.” Beca quickly complimented, not wanting to miss the chance to say it first like she had done on their first date.

“Thank you.” Chloe said, her cheeks flushing slightly and Beca grinned.

Not bearing to stay away any longer, the brunette stepped up to Chloe’s body, taking her hands and she felt a little giddy when she heard a nervous chuckle fall from her best friend’s mouth while their chests pressed gently against one another. They both looked down at the other’s lips longingly, then took a deep breath each while slowly drawing their lips together.

The kiss was soft and ended almost as quickly as it had began. They were out in public in a country they didn’t know. They didn’t want to get into any trouble.

“ _Come on, gorgeous_.” Chloe whispered with an affectionate smile, guiding the brunette through to the entrance of the restaurant by the hand. Beca dutifully followed, a goofy grin on her face.

Within a few minutes the two lovebirds were sat opposite each other at a small table in the corner of the sweet restaurant. Beca was impressed. This place was classy, but not so classy that they seemed out of place. Low-key but enough to make it feel special. As special as a second date  _should_  feel.

“You’ve totally nailed this date already.” Beca said in a quiet voice, peering at the redhead from over her menu. She saw Chloe’s eyes flashing up at her from over her own menu and it caused Beca’s heart to flutter for a moment. God she looked beautiful tonight.

“You haven’t seen what they’ve got on the menu yet, have you…” Chloe replied, her smile growing and Beca grinned.

“I’m a bit distracted.” Beca admitted with a shrug, causing an amused smile to spread across Chloe’s face. Beca had no idea how these words were falling out of her mouth so calmly. So smoothly. But they were. She was actually  _flirting_. And it seemed to be working!

“Main Courses. Second paragraph. Third line.” Chloe said directly, motioning to the menu in Beca’s hands. The brunette did as instructed, looking down at the menu before her and the jumble of words. Suddenly her eyes widened and her smile broadened at the sight of the food available on the third line of the second paragraph of the main courses.

“Mac n Cheese??” she asked in a rather excitable tone for her, and she immediately looked up to see Chloe beaming with a nod.

“Uhuh! I looked up all the restaurants in Copenhagen that did your favourite meal. Then narrowed it down to  _traditional_  restaurants that weren’t ‘American Style’ and voila! Here we are, and there’s the Mac n Cheese.”

Beca stared down at the menu with her mouth dropped open in slight disbelief. She was overwhelmed. As if Chloe has gone to all this trouble to pick somewhere in  _Europe_  that served her favourite meal!

“I-I…don’t know what to say.” she said, her cheeks flushing slightly while she looked up at her best friend. Acting on impulse, the brunette reached out and placed her hand over Chloe’s that currently rested on the surface of the table they were sat at.

They both smiled at each other while their fingers entwined. They’d been waiting for what felt like ages for this.

_“Who you texting?”_

_Beca paused her typing, her face lit up by her phone screen while she laid in her bed in the dark attic bedroom. She was texting Chloe of course. But there was no way she could tell Fat Amy that. So Beca just shrugged:_

_“Just…someone.” She replied, hoping it was in a tone that suggested to the Australian that she didn’t want to divulge any more information. But Fat Amy was never one for reading signals very well._

_“The person you spent the night with last night?”_

_Beca let out a heavy sigh. She hated Amy-Interrogations. And even after three years of sharing a room with her she was yet to find a method that stopped the interrogation without revealing everything Beca was trying to keep secret._

_“If I said yes would it stop you from asking me anything else?”_

_There was a pause, long enough for Beca to continue typing the message she was about to send to Chloe. But the silence in the room was soon broken:_

_“No.” came Amy’s honest answer. Beca let out a heavy sigh._

_“Fine, then no, I’m not texting the person I spent the night with last night.”_

_“So you DID spend the night with someone…” Fat Amy probed in a keen tone, turning on her side to face Beca and the brunette sighed again, choosing to ignore her. “Who was it?”_

_“Leave me alone Amy.” Beca replied in a deadpan tone._

_“Was it Chloe?” Amy asked, the sound of the redhead’s name causing Beca’s heart to skip a beat. But she didn’t answer. She didn’t change her expression. She didn’t want to let on that it HAD been Chloe._

_“Was it Jesse?”_

_Beca scrunched her nose up. It definitely wouldn’t ever be Jesse. But she put her phone down when a satisfied Amy seemed to have come up with the answer herself._

_“Okay. I think your rections to those two names are enough for me to know.” The Australian said, turning onto her back. Beca swallowed loudly, then finished her message to Chloe:_

_**BECA: I know. I still can’t believe this time yesterday we were just getting into that silent disco x** _

**_CHLOE: Me either ♥ x_ **

**_CHLOE: Can’t wait to see you tomorrow ♥_ **

**_BECA: :D you’ve seen me all day today_ **

**_CHLOE: You know what I meeean!_ **

**_CHLOE: Like properly see you. On our date ♥ then I can kiss yooou ;) x_ **

_**BECA: Can’t wait ;) x** _

Chloe stood in the restaurant bathroom, quickly checking her makeup. An hour in and things were still going perfectly on this date. Exactly how she hoped it’d go.

They’d held hands and had chatted and laughed about all the times over the past 24hrs they’d desperately wanted to kiss each other. They’d ordered their food and had tried each other’s starters. They were in the midsts of sharing a bottle of wine. They’d even spoken about what they might do after they’d left Barden.

_“I mean we’re only a state apart?” Beca said with a shrug, picking at one of the oysters that lay on a dish between them, “I could totally drive over and see you at weekends?”_

_“Or I could drive to you one weekend and you drive to me the next?” Chloe suggested with a soft smile, picking at her own oyster shell while she looked over at her date, “Do alternate weekends?”_

_It sucked knowing that seeing each other every day would soon come to an end. That they would have to move back to their respective homes and only see each other on the weekends. It’d be tough. But they’d make it work. Chloe believed in them. And she watched as Beca looked up at her with an affectionate smile:_

_“So long as I get to see you.”_

_Chloe’s smile grew as she saw Beca’s eyes shining at her. It still felt a bit unusual having the woman acting so affectionately towards her. Beca hadn’t really been affectionate before this weekend. But Chloe was definitely enjoying this side of her best friend._

_She placed her oyster shells on the plate before her, then wiped her fingers on her napkin._

_“I’m just going to the bathroom.” Chloe said quietly, cocking her eyebrow for a moment, a coy smile on her face. She leant slightly towards Beca, whispering, “Meet me in a minute.”_

_She watched in delight as Beca’s eyebrows rose, the brunette’s smile slowly growing and Chloe threw her a quick wink before standing up from their table._

The door to the bathrooms slowly open and Chloe looked in the reflection of the mirror to see Beca walking into the room towards her, a giddy expression on her face. She felt sure she’d never seen the woman look so excited before. Beca.  _Excited_.

Chloe turned on the spot and for a moment the two best friends stood opposite one another, their breathing increasing as their eyes remained locked and their hearts continued to race. Then suddenly they strode towards each other, Beca chucking her arms around Chloe’s neck while Chloe wrapped her arms tight around Beca’s waist, and they kissed firmly. Deeply. Longingly.

Light hums fell from their mouths, their lips noisily breaking apart for mere seconds before their faces changed angles and their lips found one another again. Over and over. Both having been so patient since their last deep kiss yesterday morning.

It had felt like a marathon - but it was oh so worth the wait.

“Your kiss doesn’t taste like cotton candy this time.” Chloe mumbled against Beca’s lips with a smile and Beca let out a chuckle.

“For what it’s worth, neither do yours.” She replied, immediately closing the gap between them.

“We should get back out there.” Chloe mumbled reluctantly when Beca’s lips broke from her mouth and instead found her neck, the brunette’s tongue swirling while leaving noisy kisses on Chloe’s skin. Beca just hummed in response.

But before either of them parted. Before either of them even recognised that Chloe was now pressed up against the wall of the bathroom while her hands attempted to slip up Beca’s skirt. Before either of them had identified they were technically in a public area, the door of the bathroom slammed open.

Beca pulled her mouth from Chloe’s neck just as Chloe opened her eyes and both women gasped as they looked to the door and saw  _Aubrey_  stood there.

The blonde looked horrified. Confused. And mildly amused. Beca and Chloe parted, their cheeks flushing in embarrassment as they straightened their respective outfits.

“Uh..Aubrey..” Chloe managed to choke out, as if about to attempt to explain what was going on, but Aubrey had allowed the door to slam shut and she walked further into the room with her arms folded.

“You know what? When I heard that you two had started dating I  _totally_  didn’t believe it.” Aubrey began, looking from Chloe to Beca and back to Chloe again, “But seeing you both having dinner a little while ago - on what I assume is a date. And now to find you guys in here? Doing  _that_!”

Aubrey seemed to motion at a bit of wall between Beca and Chloe. The two lovebirds felt uncomfortable. Guilty. As though they were being scolded.

“Seriously, Chloe?? You said you were going out for dinner with The Bellas tonight!!” Aubrey exclaimed, her brow furrowed, and Chloe felt her stomach drop. Ah. Yeah. She had kinda told Aubrey that..

_**AUBREY** : I’m meeting The Bellas Alumni for dinner tonight. Fancy coming along? It’ll be loads of fun ♥_

**_CHLOE_ ** _: Ohh sorry Bree, already got dinner plans with the girls tonight. Will see you all tomorrow though? ♥_

**_AUBREY_ ** _: Okaaay, but you’re missing out on an aca-awesome opportunity!!_

_Chloe looked up from her phone and over at Beca who was busy looking at a large map of Copenhagen with Emily and Fat Amy, trying to find this apparent ‘amazing bakery’. A soft smile spread across her face as she thought how sweet Beca looked when she was confused. No, missing her date with Beca tonight would be an aca-awesome opportunity missed._

“How did you find out we were dating??” Beca asked quickly, and Chloe turned from the blonde to her date then back again. Beca had a point - how  _did_  Aubrey find out?

“Jesse told me.” she replied with a shrug, trying to look innocent. But it only served to make Chloe and Beca’s faces screw up slightly in confusion.

“Why did  _Jesse_  tell you?” Chloe asked.

“And how??” Beca added.

Aubrey cleared her throat, shuffling from foot to foot. She was nervous about something. And both Beca and Chloe wanted to know what.

“He texted me.”

“Texted you?” Beca asked, her nose scrunching up, “Since when do you guys text?”

“Since he needed advice on how to come to terms with graduating a year before his friends all did and moving away from them.” Aubrey replied, sounding a little more confident as she turned to the brunette, “It can be really lonely sometimes, Beca.”

Suddenly a tiny smirk poked out of the corner of Beca’s mouth, “Doesn’t sound like you guys are lonely if you’ve got each other…”

And Aubrey’s cheeks flushed pink. Beca and Chloe’s mouths dropped open slightly. Had Aubrey and Jesse started dating??


	18. Worlds

Chloe stirred in her sleep, bringing a hand up to her eyes to rub them drowsily. She let out a heavy sleepy sigh, and turned in the hotel bed, shuffling to face the centre of the bed. Her eyes remained closed while her arm snaked beneath the bedcovers across the bare waist of her girlfriend.  _Girlfriend_. Last night they’d finally confirmed they were girlfriends. And the knowledge brought a sleepy smile to Chloe’s face while she brought her face to Beca’s shoulder blade and placed a soft kiss on it.

She heard the brunette let out a tiny drowsy groan and Chloe’s smile grew. Her fingers began gently tracing over Beca’s delicate skin.

“Morning sleepyhead.” She mumbled, having not even opened her own eyes yet, and she smiled when she heard a louder drowsy groan fall from the back of Beca’s throat.

Beca wasn’t a morning person. But this wasn’t just  _any_  morning. This was the morning of Worlds.  _World’s_! The World Championship of Acapella. And they were gonna win it - Chloe could just tell.

Chloe scooted her naked body further against Beca’s naked body, tucking perfectly behind her as they laid in Beca’s hotel bed together. The redhead took a deep intake of breath, loving the smell of Beca’s hairspray that still lingered in her messy brown morning hair. She felt Beca stir beneath her arm and a smile spread across her face as the petite woman took hold of Chloe’s hand that had been resting on her abdomen, and drew it up to her lips, placing a soft kiss on her palm.

“Why-isit-mornin-already?” Beca mumbled, bringing Chloe’s hand back down to her abdomen. Chloe let out a light chuckle, her eyes slowly fluttering open, and she leant her lips up to Beca’s ear.

“Because it’s Woooooorlds morninnnnnggggg!!” She sang excitably, tightening her grip around her girlfriend’s waist and she heard a loud groan from Beca’s mouth.

“Too loooooud!” Beca whined. A whine that soon stopped when she felt Chloe’s place several short kisses on her neck.

“I’m gonna have a shower.” Chloe said with a bit of a giggle, loving the way Beca had turned onto her back to get more kisses. They’d got back to Beca’s hotel room from their date last night at a reasonable hour - then had quickly tugged one another’s clothes off before falling into bed together. The sex was as good if not better than it had been the first time they’d done it on Friday night.

“Join me?” Chloe suggested, propping herself up on her elbow while her left hand traced patterns across the skin of Beca’s breasts and chest. Soft smiles were on their faces. Their bodies still ached a little after their overnight activities. But the beauty of a new relationship was the excitement of being able to take every opportunity to be naked around one another. And being naked together in the shower? That sounded like a whole new level of fun now they were officially more than just friends.

“Get the water running, Beale.” Beca mumbled with a dopey grin, and she reached up to cup the back of Chloe’s neck, gently guiding the redhead down to her face. They shared a gentle kiss. And a low growl sounded from deep within Beca’s throat as Chloe’s hand drifted down her naked body to the soft patch between her legs..

———

They’d. Won. Worlds.

And Beca had to admit - it was an amazing feeling. Right now, while she stood at the back of the room the organisers had hired to throw an after party, Beca realised that her life probably wouldn’t get much better than this.

She was finally dating Chloe. She had this awesome job waiting for her when she got back to Atlanta which would eventually pave the way for a potentially successful dream career as a music producer. And she’d led her group of misfits (she’d initially reluctantly joined in her freshman year) to the highest victory they would ever reach. Beca finally felt fulfilled for the first time in her twenty two years of being on this planet.

A smile was on her face as Jesse slowly approached her. She’d been surprised to see him in the crowd earlier. But then again…after finding out that he and Aubrey had been texting quite a lot recently, that surprise quickly disappeared. Now she was just pleased to see him - something she never thought she’d be following their breakup.

“Way to go with the win, Becs.” The young man said with a grin, a bottle of beer in hand while he stood by her side. They both looked out at the people before them. Plenty of competitors and their families and friends, all chatting and laughing and dancing to the DJ who was performing in the corner.

Beca was relieved to see that Das Sound Machine hadn’t stuck around. She struggled to control her words when she was around them for some reason.

“So..” Beca began, her smile turning to a smirk, “..you and Aubrey huh?”

She turned to see Jesse’s eyebrows raise, the man clearly looking a little embarrassed as he took a swig of beer. Then he turned to look back at her, a coy grin on his face.

“Nothing’s happened.” He replied, and Beca was surprised. She didn’t care if something  _had_. She didn’t feel as awkward around her ex-boyfriend as she thought she would. And that’s when Beca realised just how much they’d acted more like friends around each other when they’d been in a relationship than boyfriend and girlfriend.

“Dude, why not??” She blurted, and a smile spread on her face when Jesse seemed surprised by her comment, “I mean it! Chloe and I saw her last night and she mentioned you guys had been texting for a while now. She seems really into you.”

Jesse’s expression appeared to waver and Beca wondered what was going on in his head. Why wasn’t he more excited about this? Sure, Aubrey Posen was a little uptight and probably very high-maintenance at times but…well most people were in their own special way.

“I uh…” Jesse began, hesitating for a moment, turning to look back out at the crowd again. Beca did the same, knowing from experience that Jesse would eventually spill what he wanted to spill. She  _did_  know him pretty well.

Her eyes found what Jesse’s eyes had found. A gaggle of Barden Bellas. One of which being Aubrey, who was laughing at something Fat Amy was telling her. Aubrey seemed happier. More relaxed. Far happier than she had been at college. And the more Beca thought about it, the more she realised that actually Jesse and Aubrey were probably really well suited for each other. In their own unique way.

“I just worry that I won’t be able to do the whole boyfriend thing right. That I won’t make the right decisions for her.” Jesse said in a vulnerable tone, and Beca turned to look up at him cautiously while he added, “I don’t want to let her down.”

Beca swallowed loudly. Shit. Had she given Jesse a ton of insecurities since their breakup? Had she made him worry since she’d started dating Chloe? After all he  _had_  said that she and Chloe looked really happy together. They were really happy together. Had it made Jesse worry that it had been  _his_  fault that he and Beca had broken up?

“Dude, you’re genuinely the nicest guy I’ve ever met.” Beca offered, watching as a small smile crept onto Jesse’s face, his eyes still on Aubrey, “I  _mean_  it!” She watched while Jesse turned to look down at her with a grateful expression, “Just because we didn’t work out doesn’t mean you were a shit boyfriend. You were an awesome boyfriend. We just…weren’t right for each other, dude. That’s all.”

Jesse and Beca both turned back to look over at Aubrey and their hearts both leapt into their throats as the blonde looked over at them, her smile dropping for a moment. Beca began to panic. Shit..did it look like she and Jesse were back together again or something? After all, they had often stood together like this back when they’d been dating.

“I say you go over there and buy her a drink.” Beca quickly suggested, and she watched as Jesse shuffled nervously on the spot, “I mean it, dude. Just…buy her a drink then get chatting and after a little while ask her out on a date.”

Beca had no idea when she’d suddenly become an expert on giving dating advice, but somehow the words were falling out of her mouth and they seemed to be working. She noticed the familiar figure of her girlfriend slowly approaching the other side of Jesse. But the young man was a little preoccupied with trying to psych himself up to go over and talk to Aubrey.

“We live miles apart. I can’t just take her out on a date.” Jesse tried to explain, but Beca just rolled her eyes:

“Shit excuse. If you like her enough then take her out for breakfast in the morning. You guys are in  _Europe_!”

Jesse noticed Chloe stood on his other side and he turned nervously to the redhead, motioning to Aubrey across the room, “You’re her best friend. You think she’d say yes?”

And Beca grinned as Chloe’s face lit up. It wasn’t unusual for Chloe to smile excitably like this. But Beca knew exactly how much this’d mean to her girlfriend. To know that her best friend had ever potential to be as happily in love as she was.

“Oh my God definitely!! Go!” Chloe squealed, shoving Jesse slightly at the small of his back and the young man shunted forward a couple of paces before turning back to Beca and Chloe nervously.

“Right. Yeah. Okay.” He appeared to be psyching himself up. He held his beer bottle out to Beca who took it, then nodded at them both with a heavy exhale. “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck buddy.” Beca said in an amused tone, watching as he turned and made his way through the crowd towards Aubrey and The Bellas. She’d never seen Jesse this nervous before, and that’s when she knew how much her ex-boyfriend fancied Aubrey. It must really mean something to him.

“Aubrey was telling me they’ve not spoken in person yet. Not since her senior year.” Chloe said in Beca’s ear, the two now stood side by side, their arms around each other’s waists.

Beca’s eyebrows rose in surprise. No wonder Jesse was nervous. He was essentially talking to Aubrey face to face for the first time in three years. It was almost as though he and Aubrey had been online dating for a few months and this was the first time they were properly meeting in the flesh.

And a small smile spread on her face. She was really happy for both of them.

“Oh and apparently The Bellas have known about us since Friday..” Chloe added, and Beca turned to her girlfriend with a look of surprise. The little gits. Of  _course_  they did…


	19. Together

Beca sat opposite Chloe on the mattress, the redhead focussing on Beca’s index fingernail that she was painting with expert precision. The brunette smiled gently, her hand resting on Chloe’s knee while the nails on that hand were painted. Her other hand - with nails that had just been painted - rested on Chloe’s other thigh.

This very position reminded Beca of the first time Chloe had painted her nails. Back when they’d been seniors in college together. When Beca had asked Chloe out for the very first time. Those days seemed so long ago now.

She heard the redhead let out a light huff of air and Beca drew her attention down to the fingernail that Chloe had just been painting a deep red. The woman had got the tiiiiiniest drop on Beca’s skin. But clearly it was enough to frustrate the painter and Beca watched as Chloe reached for a Q-tip.

“You okay?” Beca asked curiously, but her other half didn’t look up at her, instead furrowing her brow while she concentrated on trying to remove the tiny mistake.

“Yeah. I’m just nervous about tomorrow..”

Beca’s eyebrows rose, an amused smile wiping over her face, “Why are  _you_  nervous? You’re not the one with the rings!”

Chloe, now seemingly satisfied enough with her clear-up, looked up at Beca with a shrug, “Yeah but I’ve got the stressful job of trying to get  _Aubrey_  ready!”

Beca scrunched her nose up momentarily, struggling to see how that was a challenge, “Babe, you’ve got like eight other bridesmaids to help you out-“

“-one of them being Amy, who is a handful in her own right..” Chloe tried to point out, focussing on the next fingernail on Beca’s hand.

“But  _still_ …” Beca began, peering at the nail that Chloe was carefully painting, “…all I’ve got is Benji.” and a light chuckle fell from Chloe’s mouth:

“He’s not that baaaaad.”

Aubrey and Jesse were getting married tomorrow. Something that was happening rather quickly, particularly by Aubrey’s standards.

The morning after Worlds, Jesse and Aubrey had gone out for breakfast on a date. A date that seemed to go so well that the two began an official long-distance relationship between California and Georgia. For six months. Until they couldn’t stand being apart any longer and Aubrey had decided to up-sticks and head over to California to live with Jesse. There Jesse had built a rather reputable status within the ‘movie scoring’ industry, while Aubrey settled into a new Project Management role at a spa retreat in the Hollywood Hills.

Then on their ‘one year anniversary’, on a hike in those very hills, Jesse got down on one knee and proposed. Aubrey hadn’t hesitated in saying yes, Chloe had been thrilled, Beca had been impressed, and The Bellas had been stunned. It had been a busy year since then, but the wedding was finally almost here.

“Right. Done.” Chloe said finally, gently taking hold of Beca’s hand, bringing her leg down, and resting the brunette’s palm on her other bare thigh. “You’re gonna need to stay like this for a little while so your nails dry properly.”

“Gee what a shame..” Beca replied sarcastically, loving the feel of her girlfriend’s soft skin beneath her hands. She watched a coy grin spread across Chloe’s face, the twenty seven year old letting out a light sigh.

“Wow, what are we  _possibly_  gonna do while we wait?”

The two women remained sat opposite each other, their legs crossed and knees touching, on their large hotel bed. Soft smiles were on their faces while they maintained eye contact. Then Beca’s gaze drifted down to Chloe’s lips just as Chloe’s drifted down to Beca’s. And they slowly drew their faces together to share a long kiss.

After graduation, and after Worlds, Beca and Chloe had stuck to their plan. Beca had remained in Atlanta to continue working for Residual Heat records, while Chloe had moved back home to her parents house one state along, working hard at her Uncle’s orchard. And during that time, they had spent every weekend together, Beca at Chloe’s one weekend, Chloe at Beca’s the other. They had gone on dates and had spent nights together in each other’s beds.

Then one day, Beca had been offered her dream job as a (Junior) music producer in LA. Before accepting it, she’d called Chloe to ask if she would move to LA with her. Chloe didn’t hesitate in saying yes and within a couple of weeks, the two had moved across the country into a cute little one bedroom apartment in the same block as Aubrey and Jesse.

Aubrey had managed to snag Chloe a job at the spa retreat she worked at and, as a consequence of their respective girlfriends working together, Jesse and Beca became close friends. So it came as no surprise to anyone when Aubrey immediately asked Chloe to be her maid of honour, just as it was no surprise when Jesse asked Beca to be his ‘Best Woman’.

“You’ve still got those rings, right?” Chloe mumbled against Beca’s lips, and she felt Beca grip her thighs a little.

“Shit, I hope so…” Beca mumbled back, not pausing their kiss to check, and they both smiled softly.

It had been two years since their first date, and they’d been living together for over a year, but Beca and Chloe still acted as though they had just started dating - completely enamoured by the feel of one another’s lips while they kissed..

—

Two weeks later, Beca was sat on the balcony of the apartment she and Chloe had called home for almost fifteen months now. The Californian sun was radiating down but Beca was tucked under the shade of the parasol, reading a book. She noticed someone appear on the balcony out the corner of her eye and she looked up to see Jesse grinning down at her.

“Aren’t you guys a bit early?” Beca asked with a frown, only just now hearing the excitable chatter of her girlfriend which meant Aubrey was inside the apartment with Chloe. She watched as Jesse let out a chuckle, taking a seat nearby in the sun and looking out at the view.

“Nice to see you too.” He replied light-heartedly. Beca grinned. He looked relaxed. Happy. And very tanned. Clearly the honeymoon had been a good one. “We’ve brought the wedding photos over for you guys to look at.” But at the sight of Beca’s wavering smile, Jesse changed tact, knowing that fawning over photos wasn’t exactly Beca’s idea of fun, “For Chloe to look at.”

Beca chuckled, “That’s more like it.”

There was a pause while the two friends looked out at the view from the balcony. It had been a nice couple of years. Strange, actually, to think that they’d ever once dated back in college. All of that seemed so long ago now Beca was happily settled down with Chloe and Jesse happily married to Aubrey.

“I  _did_  bring one photo for you to see though.” Jesse said after a little while, and Beca turned to see him holding out a printed photo at her. She took it and grinned. It was a photo  _she’d_  taken. Of Jesse and Aubrey during the evening party of their wedding. Looking very happy indeed.

“Turns out you can spend over a thousand dollars on a professional photographer, and your favourite photo will end up being taken by your best friend on a disposable camera.” Jesse added softly and Beca looked up at the man who was smiling gratefully at her.

“Well you guys are easy to photograph when you both look so good together.” Beca replied, handing the photo back, and Jesse looked back down at it, his smile broadening.

“Aubrey’s pregnant.” He said in a soft tone, and Beca’s face lit up. She’d always known how much Jesse had wanted to become a Dad. Even when they’d been dating back in college he’d talk about his future with a child in it. Now that dream for him was becoming a reality.

Suddenly a shriek was heard from inside the apartment and Beca and Jesse grinned at one another before they peered behind to see Chloe flinging her arms around Aubrey’s neck while congratulating her loudly. Aubrey must have told Chloe the news.

“I’m gonna ask Chloe to marry me.” Beca said in a soft tone, watching her girlfriend let go of Aubrey to immediately place her hands on the blonde’s stomach. Beca let out a chuckle when she felt a playful assuring thump on her arm. She turned to see her best friend grinning at her - Jesse was clearly over the moon.

“Dude that’s amazing news!!” Jesse replied with a huge smile, “When??”

“Tomorrow night.” Beca said with a shrug, putting her book down to one side and rising to her feet, “Tonight is all about you and Aubrey and that little peanut you’re now growing.”

Jesse and Beca both stepped into the apartment to join their respective partners, ready to spend an excitable evening celebrating the next generation of Bellas.

Beca couldn’t tear her eyes from her girlfriend while Chloe’s face shone happily at their friends. She couldn’t wait to put a smile like that on her face tomorrow evening. Tomorrow likely being the next chapter in their perfect little life together..


End file.
